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JONATHAN SETTLE
Educational journey: the University of Cambridge Primary School opened its doors to pupils in September, an important step in establishing a new, vibrant community at North West Cambridge. Work on the school started in November last year and has a phased completion, with pupils in Reception, and Years 1 and 2, joining at the start of the academic year. The second phase of the building is expected to be finished in December and, when complete, the school will accommodate 630 pupils. It is the first building to open as part of the development. Headteacher James Biddulph said: “Our teachers and staff have been working extremely hard in anticipation of the new building opening, and the arrival of the children completes the school community as we start on our learning journey.” In addition to providing an inclusive and high-quality primary education for local children, the school will offer unique training and research opportunities through its close relationship with the faculties and departments of the University. For more information on the North West Cambridge Development visit www.nwcambridge.co.uk.
Beware online flat scams House hunters are being warned about bogus advertisements for rental accommodation after a University researcher almost fell for an online scam. Dr Sophie Van Der Zee moved to Cambridge in 2013 as a postdoc in the Computer Laboratory’s Security Group, where her research involves online deception. “I found a beautiful and affordable place to live on Craigslist,” she said. “Although the flat seemed a little too good to be true, I contacted the landlord. Only when he asked for my deposit via Western Union, I knew for sure I was dealing with a scammer.” Van Der Zee decided to treat the experience as a research opportunity and, with Dr Richard Clayton and Professor Ross Anderson, examined how such scams operate, whether people fall for them, and how scammers dupe flat hunters into transferring money.
Their results suggest the best defence is to cut and paste parts of the advert into a search engine. “If your perfect Cambridge apartment is also advertised in Brighton and even New York, you’re likely to be dealing with a scam,” she warned. The University’s Accommodation Service confirmed that several University members and visitors have lost considerable sums of money in these scams. “Scam websites often feature real properties, but the people advertising the accommodation do not own them. Before viewing, prospective tenants are asked to pay an upfront fee, which is supposedly refundable, but never is,” said Nicky Blanning, Head of the Accommodation Service. “Our advice is never to send money upfront to a potential landlord – unless the property is from our website – and if in doubt, contact us.” ➔ www.accommodation.cam.ac.uk. michaelmas term 2015 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 3