Students Targeted in £3M Phone Fraud
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Bringing you the best news on campus since 1897 10 October 2014 thegryphon.co.uk Mind Matters Features Science The Gryphon covers Sam Pepper and The threat of Ebola - a variety of issueS the perils of are we in danger? for Mental Health vlogging AwarenesS Day Students targeted in £3m phone fraud Charlotte Mason News Editor risk of identity fraud. have been made from the scheme. StudentS are said to have pitched the Speaking to this newspaper, the Uni- A student is believed to have been scheme to friends by sending a Facebook versity’S Police Liaison Officer PC Matt arrested for alleged involvement in a meSSage which asked for bank details, de- Guy described the case as ‘shocking’. He suspected smartphone fraud scheme which scribing ‘a rare opportunity to make quite a explained, ‘Many studentS do not know haS scammed studentS out of thousandS lot of money for very little work’. they have been subject to a fraud until the of pounds. The student, who haS not been A number of studentS at Leeds have bills come through their post box and debt named for legal reasons, is said to have been victimS of the scheme, with those agencieS contact them, often for amountS been implicated in a pyramid scheme affected urged to contact the Student Ad- in exceSS of £1,000’. which targeted university studentS across vice Centre. In a statement, the Union said, The National Mobile Phone Crime Unit the country. ‘Leeds University Union is supporting West haS written to a number of UK universities, The news followS the launch of Oper- Yorkshire Police in their investigation but including Leeds, urging them to highlight ation Rosewood by the National Mobile after already supporting many studentS the issue of identity fraud among students. Phone Crime Unit to investigate hundreds who have been affected, streSSes that the Operation leader, Detective Inspector of cases of suspected fraud. welfare of Leeds studentS is paramount’. Louise Shea, said, ‘We understand this Under the scheme, studentS were ap- Police are speaking to one student who is matter will be of considerable concern to proached and offered cash incentives to now struggling with debtS of over £10,000. the studentS and family members affect- register for a smartphone contract. They Around twenty people have now been ed as they will be accruing significant would then be asked to send on the phone arrested in connection with the scheme, debts. We are committed to ensuring that to an unnamed private company in ex- though no chargeS have been made. The those engaged in fraudulent activity do change for a £50 reward and the promise Gryphon understandS around two-thirds of not escape justice. We urge any studentS of a monthly income. However, studentS reported cases have yet to be investigated, that have been affected to come forward involved were left responsible for phone with a suspected £3 million of students’ to assist the investigation and prevent this bills and are now reported to be incurring money involved. happening to anyone else’. ‘significant’ debts. Police also believe stu- The National Mobile Phone Crime Unit dentS who divulged bank details may be at haS confirmed that thousandS of pounds The investigation continues. 2 Contents Editor’s Letter 3-7 News ‘LAD culture’ is a term that is rejoiced by some, and rebuked by others. The marmite of University vocabulary, it can be used to both term a carefree 8-10 Features attitude, as well as an insult towards those who embrace in stereotypes. This week, it typified the actions of LSE’s Male Rugby club. Circulating a Freshers’ 11-13 Comment booklet that condemned ‘poly scum’, ‘beast-like women’ and ‘homosexual debauchery’, the leaflet sent the world of academia into a standstill as we 14 Debate wondered just exactly how they thought that they were that untouchable. 15 Letters To some, the actions might have even been interpreted as a joke too far, but it seems that the society have a history of crossing the line. Nazi uniforms 16-17 Science and Guantanamo Bay parodies have been made by the club, who have seen themselves as an untouchable alternative to the Bullingdon Club. This is not a 19-24 Sport matter of fun policing, but ensuring that every person that enters the uni- versity has a right to experience an environment that doesn’t tolerate such a cavalier attitude towards discrimination. In a way, it doesn’t even seem that Editor-In-Chief Jasmine Andersson the people involved are using the terms they have with vitriol; it is a response Associate Editors Phil Mann, Ste Topping of automatons who fail to see the gravitas of their long-sedimented prejudice. News Abla Klaa, Charlotte Mason, Jake Hookem and Sean Hayes The LSESU should be commended for the swift nature of their actions, but Features Ruby Lott-Lavigna, Brigitte Phillips and Vickie it also needs to be noted that there needs to be a change in consciousness in Hesketh order for the rugby team’s students, and the student population as a whole, to Comment and Debate Phillipa Williams, Ella Grittiths and Ella Healing progress from this situation. As those students received validation from their Science Alice Hargreaves-Jones and Michael Owen peers in the comfort of their microcosms, their prejudices entered an echo Sport Adam Le Roux, Peter White, Alex Bowmer and chamber, leading to an awry sense of narcissism and desensitisation. After all, Euan Cunningham the simplicity of thinking before speaking can get lost in the cavernous tropes Head of Photography Sam Broadley of banter. It is comforting to know in the wake of such action, both sides of Photographers Lucie England-Duce and Sam Lewis the ‘LAD culture’ party have teamed together to say that enough is enough. Designers Frazer Sparham, Ben Sandin and Sophia Kossoski leeds In celebration of home– coming talks 14/10/14 16/10/14 17/10/14 GILBERTO LIZ NAGA ALGAR-FARIA KERSHAW MUNCHETTY POLITICAL BBC BBC NEWS RESEARCHER RADIO DJ PRESENTER 12PM-1PM 7PM-8PM 12PM-1PM FREE FREE FREE 23/10/14 08/11/14 MARY ANDY BAKER KERSHAW BRAIN DJ & RESEARCHER BROADCASTER LEEDS UNIVERSITY UNION 1PM-2PM 7PM-11PM FULL DETAILS & TICKETS: FREE £7.50 / £12.50 UNIONEVENTS.ORG THEGRYPHON.CO.UK News 3 Eduroam? Edu-won’t Matthew’s mara- Abla Klaa News Editor thon of marathons Campus experienced an internet the technical slip-up on Twitter, call- blackout on Tuesday, with Wi-Fi service ing it an ‘outrage’. A third-year Music Eduroam offline and access to the VLE studentsaid:‘It’sannoyingbecause I haven’t disrupted. memorised my timetable yet. I wish I’d The problem affected access to printed it because I don’t know where I’m student timetables via the UniLeeds app meant to be going!’ as well as card payment machines in the Engineers were called to investigate Union. the issue around midday and reported Students expressed their anger at that the problem had been fixed by 4pm. Alarm causes ‘weekend of hell’ Charlotte Mason News Editor Matthew Haythornthwaite © Students who live on a Hyde Park asleep to music to drown out the noise’. street have suffered a ‘weekend of hell’ as The students also contacted the alarm Hugh Baillie-Laine The total distance that Matthew will their neighbour’s burglar alarm sounded company, who refused to act as the house cover over the course of his challenge for 48 hours non-stop. was no longer on their records. is 262 miles, the equivalent of running Leeds RAG member and Residents on Ebberston Terrace Council officials eventually contacted from Leeds to Portsmouth. Civil Engineering Postgraduate, Matthew Matthew is determined to complete reported the disturbance to the Council the residents of the offending house, who Haythornthwaite, is to run marathons on Saturday, but were left to endure the were away in London at the time. the challenge, but is in no doubt about between October 2014 and October 2015. the difficulties he will face. He has ‘incessant ringing’ until assistance ar- A spokesperson for Leeds City Matthew, who will continue to study rived two days later at 4pm on Monday Council said, ‘Although this is not a also said he will be organising further whilst completing the challenge, aims to fundraising events throughout the year to afternoon. property managed by us, members of raise £10,000 for St Gemma’s Hospice ensure his target is reached. Third-year English student Ruby our noise nuisance team contacted the and Brain Tumour Research and Support. You can keep up to date with Lott-Lavigna and her three housemates agents who are responsible for managing He has taken on the challenge in memory Matthew’s progress on his Twitter feed claim they were unable to study or sleep the property at the earliest opportunity to of his father, who died of a brain tumour ‘@10marathonschal’ and on his Facebook properly, describing the situation as make sure they were aware’. in October 2005. page ‘10 Marathons Challenge’. ‘ridiculous’. However, Ms Lott-Lavigna said, ‘They Each marathon will represent a year Matthew also aims to collect the since his dad’s passing with the final one Ms Lott-Lavigna told The Gryph- couldn’t be bothered to contact anyone equivelant of a mile of pennies, which is marking the ten year anniversary. He on, ‘It was very frustrating calling the until Monday’. 80,000 in total. Donation boxes will be said, set up around University and in the RAG council numerous times for them to just She added, ‘When the alarm started I ‘In order to mark the 10 years since say they couldn’t do anything or that couldn’t have possibly believed it would office.