The Toronto Police Service is cautioning University of Toronto students about a phishing scheme designed to trick them into sharing their tuition payments with scammers via deceptive emails.
Several students have reported receiving false emails that appear to be from the university, demanding immediate payment of outstanding tuition fees to avoid losing access to essential academic services.
The fraudulent messages prompt recipients to transfer money through bank e-transfers to an email address provided in the email, a clear warning sign according to law enforcement.
To help students and families spot potential scams, authorities have highlighted key indicators to look out for.
Both police and university officials emphasize that genuine tuition payments will never be solicited through personal email accounts or third-party services like Outlook, Gmail, or Hotmail.
It is noted that scammers often target students at the beginning of academic terms, when tuition and housing payments become due.
Individuals with any details regarding this scam are urged to reach out to the Toronto Police Service.