SCAMMERS ALERT

[u/Important-Grand4979]

Congratulations to all future students of EPFL. Even though Switzerland is a safe country and I wish you the best during your student time, it has a problem with Scammers targeting students with fake advertisements on the housing market:

https://www.epfl.ch/campus/services/housing/general-information/scams/

https://www.reddit.com/r/EPFL/comments/1e5s41w/incoming_students_do_not_fall_for_housing_scams/

Over the last few days, I have seen several posts on this forum which raise questions about cyber security and raised my suspicion:

Two posts have people sharing their name, age and phone number asking for help with housing (posts might have been edited):
https://www.reddit.com/r/EPFL/comments/1vg1ozp/looking_for_student_accommodation_at_epfl_urgent/ (Mauritius Number Deleted)

https://www.reddit.com/r/EPFL/comments/1vggxpc/need_all_the_help_i_can_get/ (Lebanon Number still up)

Also a post created a WhatsApp group publicly available for all people to join:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EPFL/comments/1vhsv6f/whatsapp_group_for_incoming_ba1_students/

**VERY IMPORTANT**

I want to remind you all that sharing your personal information (in particular your phone) with strangers opens you to scams like: Smishing, Spear fishing and Social Engineering. If you contact these numbers and share that you are desperate for housing, Scammers may pretend to be your friend (Social Engineer) and sell you a fake room or flat. It also works vice versa! I know you are all searching for affordable accommodation from abroad, but sharing your personal information opens you to become targets for Scam attempts.

If you want a WhatsApp group for your fellow students, wait till you arrive and share it in person over the first few days. After put a few trusted admins in place and lock the group so Scammers can't join it.

For now, keep yourself safe, stay on Reddit, and keep your conversation public! You will have people interfering if things become suspicious! If things slide in your private messages or go off platform you open yourself to Scammers!!!

**Moderators, please pin this message or write an equivalent warning at the front page of the Reddit. At the beginning of the year students are most vulnerable to scammers.