Crime gangs recruiting city students

Students are at the centre of a large scale fraud investigation after an increasing number of forged cheques were deposited across the country.

The Lothian and Borders Police Specialist Fraud Unit and the Serious and Organised Crime unit are looking into transactions where students pay fake cheques into their accounts, only to withdraw the cash shortly after.

“Many of the students are foreign nationals, and if found guilty at a court of fraud will have a criminal record,” said Detective Sergeant Colin Aitken from the Specialist Fraud Unit.

It is believed crime groups are targeting students through social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo and offering them a cut of the money — a few hundred pounds at most.

The latest incident occurred when a 20 year-old male student in Musselburgh tried to deposit a cheque for more than £16,000 and was arrested and charged in connection with forgery and fraudulent activities.

Staff at the bank contacted the authorities after realising the cheque was a fake.

DS Aitken said: "Quite often the cheques are for just below £10,000 because that is a cut-off mark for the banks."

The police have confirmed that the gangs are targeting students across the UK and that there is no specific focus on East Lothian.

Due to the information policies of certain banks, establishing an exact figure on the amount of cheques that have been successfully cashed is difficult.

It has been estimated that between £20,000 and £25,000 has been stolen in the last seven months, but DS Aitken said this could be “the tip of the iceberg”.

DS Aitken explained why some students accept the offer: "The students are told that they will not get caught even though they know the activity is criminal.”

The National Union of Students Scotland President, Liam Burns, said: “The student support system is clearly not working for students in Scotland.”

He sighted a decline in part-time job employment and less parental support as possible reasons for students to turn to what they see as a harmless offence; but insisted that “this kind of thing is a very serious crime indeed”.

DS Aitken said: “The authorities are aware of the matter and will target anyone who is found committing fraudulent activities.

Students who are caught will face expulsion from university and deportation if applicable according to DS Aitken. 

The targeting of students by criminal groups has been on the increase, DS Aitken said, “since the beginning of the academic year” in 2009.

President of Edinburgh University Students' Association, Thomas Graham said: “I haven't been aware of this issue before, but this is clearly a serious problem.

“I'd encourage all students to be careful when they receive unsolicited contact: if something looks like it's too good to be true, then it probably is.”

Both Edinburgh Napier University and The University of Edinburgh have not made statements at this time, but the events are being taken seriously by student unions.

Mr Burns said: “We will be working with universities and colleges throughout Scotland to help to educate Scottish students about the dangers of these scams.”