Extra safety advice for International students

We’ve picked out key information relevant to International students in addition to the other information which is useful for all students.

If you are on campus and need urgent support, please find a safe space and call Security on 0207 040 3333. For emergencies call 999. For non-emergency crimes, call 101.

For many of you, it's your first time living away from home in a new country and we want to help you feel confident and stay safe. London is an amazing city and we look forward to welcoming you.

Like any large city, it's so important to look out for your personal safety. For detailed advice, we highly recommend the British Council's Creating Confidence guide and your City St George's Student safety booklet.

On this page:

• Staying safe when travelling in London
• Protecting your belongings 
• Scam awareness
• UK laws to know
• How to report a crime 
• Support and key contacts

Staying safe when travelling in London

Passports - Make sure you keep your travel documents safe and have photocopies of all the pages in your passport. Losing a passport can be stressful but there are steps to handle it. See our Advice for Lost Passports and Visas page for more information.

Taxis – Remember that only ‘black cabs’ can be hailed in the street. Only take minicabs that are pre-ordered by phone or in person. Don’t go with anyone offering rides inside the airport unless you've pre-booked with a legitimate minicab company.

Cash – Bring enough cash to cover your needs e.g £200 however the Police do not advise carrying large amounts of cash with you in person, so make sure you look at alternatives and store it in a safe place if necessary.

Getting around at night - Travelling around London day at night is usually safe due to the high number of commuters, even so it's important to take extra care at night. Take a look at our top tips.

Make sure you have insurance for different scenarios - belongings, mobile phones, and even medical coverage if you think you might need it. If you plan to drive, car insurance is legally required.

Protecting your belongings

It's important to be mindful of theft and understand the steps you can take to ensure you and your belongings are safe.

Always keep your valuables close to you, out of sight and stored safely when not in use. Pickpocketing is the most common form of theft in London, and there has been a rise in cases where criminals use bikes to snatch phones from people.

Make sure you know best practices for phone security, bike security, and using an ATM safely.

Take a look at our top tips for Protecting yourself against theft.

Scam awareness

Your personal information is valuable. Action Fraud offers advice on how to keep your details secure and what to do if you think you've been a victim of identity fraud. Check out Action Fraud’s Identity crime fact sheet.

Some criminals will target international students and claim to be a 'trustworthy’ organisation. They will make demands for money by claiming there’s an immigration issue.

These scammers may trick or frighten you into paying by seeming like it’s very urgent.

Signs to look out for:

• Urgent and dramatic tone, talking about deportation or visa cancellation to scare you
• Requests for immediate payment or bank details
• Limited but accurate personal information about you

If you find yourself in a suspicious situation

1. Don’t confirm or disclose any personal details
2. Don’t pay - The home office nor the UKCISA would ever ask for money over the phone
3. End the call or do not reply

A recent example of a scam targeting Chinese international students:

Students received phone calls and messages on Telegram and WeChat with what looked like an official arrest warrant from China. The caller states you need to pay money to cancel the arrest warrant.

People have lost as much as £40,000 or £80,000 due to this scam.

If you get a message like this, don't pay. Official authorities won't ask for money in this way. Report it immediately to both the local police and the university.

If you suspect a scam, think you have been targeted or have any concerns, you can reach out to the International Student Advice team via the Support@City platform or Campus Security 020 7040 8047 during regular hours.

You can also report it online to Action Fraud. Stay updated by checking resources like UKCISA.

For more information about scams, please see our Online Safety page.

UK laws

You should make yourself aware of British Law, which may be different from the law in your own country, so you don’t inadvertently commit a crime. You can find an essential guide to the law in the UK at www.gov.uk/browse/justice.

How to report a crime

UK Police have a duty to keep everyone safe in the community, prevent crime and ensure the law is followed.

If you become a victim of crime, you can:

• Contact the Police to report it, for emergency services call 999, to report a crime that doesn’t require emergency attention call 101 or report it online.
• Don’t worry about language difficulties as the Police can find someone that speaks your language, free of charge
• You can also report a crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or via an anonymous form.

If you’re not comfortable speaking with the Police, you can speak to a trusted person on campus

• Speak to our 24/7 Campus Security team on their emergencies line on 020 7040 3333 or their non-emergency line during office hours on 020 7040 8047
• You can also reach out to our Student Support services (link)

You can also reach out to Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111

If you have been a victim of theft, you can report this to the Police and receive a crime reference number, which is important for insurance claims.

For more information about Reporting a Crime, visit our webpage (link)

Support and key contacts

For further support, you can always reach out to your Support services at City St George's.

Here is a handy list of specialised external support services:

• Citizens Advice: Get financial and legal support
• Crimestoppers: You can report a crime anonymously. Call: 0800 555 111
• Equality and Human Rights Commission: Support for racial or harassment issues. Call 0808 800 0082
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: For domestic abuse issues. Call 0808 2000 247
• NHS: 24/7 Health information. If you need medical help and it's not a medical emergency. Call 111
• Immobilise Crime: Register your valuables
• Samaritans: 24/7 Emotional support no matter what you’re going through. Call: 116 123
• Victim Support: 24/7 Support for victims of crime. Call: 0808 1689 111