Image from an official Facebook group operated by University of Sussex Housing Services
We have recently been made aware of several unofficial Facebook and WhatsApp residence groups unaffiliated with the University of Sussex, some of which are requesting personal details from Sussex students, including UCAS/Application Numbers.
Remember to never share your UCAS/Application Number with anyone outside of the University or UCAS. The only residence groups you should give this information to are the ones operated by University of Sussex Housing Services. The University of Sussex Housing Services team does not currently have any WhatsApp groups but you can find the list of official Sussex Residence Facebook groups on the Student Hub.
These groups are the only official Facebook residence groups for students living in University-managed accommodation. They are run by University staff and are the only residence pages that University staff and Students’ Union Officers post in and interact with.
The University's International Office has created WhatsApp groups for international students. You would be invited by the University directly via your registered email address.
Unofficial residence/Freshers groups are often created by events companies to promote unofficial Freshers events. These groups are not able to verify the student status of its members using University systems, so can also be the target of scammers.
If you think that you have shared your UCAS number with a third party, you can contact UCAS with any concerns.
If you have any concerns about the validity of a Facebook group, please contact the University at information@sussex.ac.uk or the Sussex Students’ Union at events@sussexstudent.com
A list of the University’s official events can be found on the Student Hub.
The only events officially run by the Students' Union can be found on the Students’ Union website and their official Box Office is based on the ground floor of Falmer House.