The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is alerting the public to a phishing scam aimed at University of Toronto (U of T) students, warning that fraudsters are attempting to steal tuition payments through deceptive emails.
According to investigators, several students have reported receiving fraudulent messages that appear to come from the university. The emails claim that outstanding tuition fees must be paid immediately or students risk losing access to academic services.
The scam instructs recipients to send money via bank e-transfer to an email address provided in the message — a tactic police say is a clear red flag.
What to be on the lookout for
Authorities outlined several warning signs that can help students and families identify potential scams.
- Follow-up emails demanding additional payments once an initial transfer has been made.
- Emails that appear to come from university staff but request payment to personal or non-university email accounts.
- Pressure to send large sums of money quickly, often with threats of losing admission, housing, or academic access.
- Requests for payment through Interac e-Transfer rather than official university payment systems.
Police and university officials are reminding students that legitimate tuition payments will never be requested through personal email accounts or third-party services such as Outlook, Gmail, or Hotmail.
Authorities also note that fraudsters often target students at the start of academic terms, when tuition and housing payments are due.
Anyone with information about the scam is asked to contact the TPS.
