10 Things International Students in the UK Should Learn to Say No To

Recognise risky requests involving money, jobs, coursework, housing and personal boundaries, and find safer ways to respond.

1. Letting someone move money through your account

Decline requests to receive money and send it onwards for a fee or as a favour. The National Crime Agency warns that students are targeted for money muling through job offers and social contacts. Handling criminal proceeds can have serious consequences even when the pitch sounds like easy work.

A simple response is: “I cannot receive or transfer money for you.” If you have already been involved, contact your bank promptly using its official contact details. Sharing an account number for a legitimate payment is not the same situation as surrendering control of your account.

2. Accepting a job you cannot independently check

An impressive message is not proof that an employer exists. Pause if the work involves moving customers’ money through your personal account, paying to unlock a job or surrendering login credentials. Find the organisation’s contact details independently and ask for a clear description of duties and payment.

Say: “I will check the employer and terms before agreeing.” Your university careers service can be a useful place to discuss an unfamiliar offer. Do not let urgency replace basic checks.

3. Working outside your immigration conditions

A friend’s work permission is not yours. Student work conditions depend on the course, sponsor and circumstances; some students cannot work. Check your own immigration record and university guidance before accepting hours or a type of job. Do not assume that being paid in cash, working remotely or calling work a favour removes a restriction.

Say: “I need to confirm that my permission allows this.” Do not rely on a recruiter’s promise that extra work will go unnoticed.

4. Buying assessed work or lending yours for submission

Refuse offers to write an assignment or sit an assessment for you, and requests to submit your work as someone else’s. University assessment rules matter even where no criminal allegation is involved. Bath Spa’s published guidance, for example, explains how inappropriate AI use can constitute academic misconduct and why assessment-specific instructions matter.

Say: “I can discuss how to find legitimate study support, but I cannot provide work for you to submit.” Refer questions about permitted collaboration, proofreading and AI to the module team before using them.

5. Sharing passwords or authentication codes

Do not hand over your university, email, banking or immigration-account credentials. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends protecting email, using additional sign-in verification and keeping devices updated. A person asking to “fix” something may be trying to access much more than the single account they mention.

Say: “I will contact support myself.” Use the service’s official recovery process if access is lost. Letting someone see an ordinary reference number is not automatically the same as giving them your password, but consider what each request would allow them to do.

6. Paying for accommodation you cannot verify

Pause before sending money for a room if the address, landlord, agreement or access arrangements cannot be checked. Ask your university accommodation team for help with an unfamiliar arrangement. Housing rights depend on the nation and the kind of tenancy or licence; a student hall and a private shared house are not necessarily governed in the same way.

Say: “I need to verify the room and the agreement first.” A disappointing listing is not automatically a crime, but pressure to pay immediately is a reason to slow down.

7. Signing an agreement you do not understand

Ask for time to read the total price, duration, cancellation terms, guarantor obligations and any joint liability before signing a housing, phone or other contract. Keep the complete version, not just a photograph of the signature page. Seek independent advice if the wording or language is unclear.

Say: “Please send the full terms so I can review them.” A signature can create commitments; it should not be treated as a harmless administrative step.

8. Paying someone who promises a guaranteed visa outcome

UKVI warns about fraud involving supposed officials, fees and immigration services. Verify a request through an independently located official channel before paying or sharing personal information. Keep messages and payment records if you suspect fraud.

Say: “I will check this with the official service.” Educational guidance can help with planning, but no consultancy’s marketing should replace the applicable rules or a regulated adviser where individual immigration advice is needed.

9. Social pressure that ignores your boundaries

You can decline a drink, a party, a lift, a photograph or any situation in which you feel unsafe. You do not need to prove that a request is unlawful to refuse it. Agree a way home with someone you trust and seek campus support if pressure becomes threatening or persistent.

Say: “No, that does not work for me.” Personal boundaries and criminal offences are different categories; respect for your decision should not depend on explaining a legal argument.

10. Carrying a bag or parcel you cannot check

Do not carry unknown goods across a border for someone else. UK rules prohibit or restrict various items, and the fact that a parcel belongs to a friend is not a substitute for understanding its contents. Check the official import guidance for the destination and route.

Say: “I cannot take responsibility for something I have not checked.” If you need help after any of these situations, contact the relevant official service, your bank, university support or police as appropriate. In immediate danger, use the emergency services.

General information, not individual immigration advice. Official sources were reviewed for this edition; check the linked guidance again before acting.

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