Stay On The Alert
A new semester has begun, and students are likely to fall prey to some of these online scammers who prey on the lack of knowledge of some students and take advantage of them.
During the time for some students to book for UPSA hostel, about an hour later, I discovered something very disturbing in one of their groups. I was taken aback, as it was unbelievable, and some students had already fallen prey to such scams.
As a writer, someone who is concerned about the well-being of such students and the many that might also fall victim in later days and years, I have decided to expose how these people operate. As a student who has come across this post, share it with friends and family so they can stay and remain vigilant in dealing with some of these things.
How did it begin
On the fifth of January 2026, at exactly 9. am, the UPSA hostel portal was opened for students to apply for rooms. Due to the pressure on the system and the lack of strong internet on the part of some students and individuals booking the hostels, it became a challenge to access this portal for students to continue.
I, on the other hand, was helping a sister of mine get a room in one of the UPSA hostels and was facing the same challenge. It was disturbing, but some students made it through, and so did she.
How these scammers or Fraudsters were operating
While many were stuck in this loop of frustration, a group of people behind the scenes was sharing fake links to fake websites. They shared it into several groups, and for those who visited those sites immediately, due to their lack of knowledge, they probably fell victim and lost huge amounts of money. These activities are bad, and for individuals who are not smart enough, losing their money at the end of the day is probably a big blow.
Let Me Walk You Through Their Scheme
One of the links I came across in one of the groups led me to a site. On the site, I realised that the person had used a Jot Form to create something like a questionnaire, which he assigned some portions as compulsory to answer.
When you click on the link, you are redirected to this page, which asks you apply now. Now, on UPSA's official hostel booking platform, it doesn't look like this. Even when you read their message before applying now, you will realize that the person wrote"allocatio instead of allocation". A big institution will not require you to fill out a form before applying for a hostel, and a university will not land you on a page that doesn't look professional, has no website structure, no trust signals, or about sections.
When you proceed to click on apply now, the next page you will land on will look like the one in the photo below.
On this page, like in the photo above, you are asked to submit very sensitive information, like
- Your full name (first name and last name to be precise)
- Your email
- Your student index number given to you by the school or your student ID.
- The programme you are offering at the school
Please note:
During the hostel application process, UPSA hostel management doesn't require you to submit your student ID. This is the first sign to help you know that these people are fake.
Also, on the UPSA official web page for hostel application, you are never required to enter emails or telephone numbers. You should take note of these things anytime you are applying for a hostel.
The photo below is concrete proof of how honest the official web page for UPSA hostel booking looks.
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| How the official web page of UPSA hostel booking looks |
How the next four pages of the scam page look like after submitting your personal information?
On the next pages of the scam site, these scammers are using, you are asked to select a hostel of your preferred choice.
The hostels they provided on this page are three, which include:
- Hostel A (Fees Per Semester)
- Hostel B/ Mathew Opoku Prempeh (Fees Per Semester)
- Hostel C/ Amon Kotei (Fees Per Semester)
It is structured such that when you click on the please select provided in the box beneath each hostel, a drop-down pop-up is shown with the number of people per room you want, with exorbitant prices for each.
After submitting the type of hostel you want, you will be directed to the next page, which gives you payment options for you to make a payment. Available on that page is the payment option to either make a payment through the bank or use mobile money. There is a caution attached to each of these payment options to make it look official, which says that you should use your student ID or full name as a reference.
When you select the mobile money payment option and click next, which I did, you will then see an AirtelTigo number (0265852490) with the name Atsu Albert Agbi written on it.
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| Image showing the hostel type, payment option and payment account of these fraudsters |
Please note:
This is a total scam as UPSA doesn't require you to make a payment to any other platform, organization, person, or individual apart from the one the school gives you after you have been allocated a room
An important point you should also note is that UPSA doesn't ask you to make a payment before you are given a room. Payment of hostel fees at UPSA is only made after you have been given a room. This information is stated clearly on their WhatsApp platform as well as in the students' guide, which students are given after admission to the school.
Why This Post
The reason behind this post is to create awareness, which will inform individuals who might have little knowledge of how UPSA hostel management works, or how its official web page looks. This post is also to inform people and the general public so they do not fall victim to these misleading schemes.
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