As scams targeting students continue to rise, UK businesses and professionals are being invited to join Vacua Students, a platform designed to connect them with international students.
For many international students arriving in the UK, Facebook groups, WhatsApp communities and other social media platforms quickly become important sources of information.
Need a room? Ask in a group.
Looking for a tutor? Post online.
Need help with a visa? Someone may recommend a service provider.
Looking for a second-hand laptop, furniture or other essentials? Check the student marketplace.
While these platforms can be useful, one challenge remains: it is often difficult to know who is behind a profile.
That is an issue Vacua Students founder, Dr Yusuff Awosanya, says he experienced personally.
While trying to buy pre-owned items through Facebook after arriving in the UK, he says he was scammed out of £400. The experience made him consider how vulnerable students can become when they rely on informal online communities to find accommodation, services, products and new connections.
The concern also extends beyond individual experiences.
The UK Government reported in October 2025 that 57% of students had encountered scams or had money stolen, while young adults aged 18 to 24 had an average of £300 stolen by scammers over the preceding year.
The Student Loans Company has also warned that scammers use social posts and direct messages to persuade students to hand over money or personal information. It advises students to be careful about the information they share online, as scammers can use it for identity theft.
For Yusuff, this is one of the problems Vacua Students was created to address.
Vacua Students is a UK-based platform designed to give international students a structured environment to connect, find services and interact with other students.
Verification is one of the principles underpinning the platform.
Rather than creating another open online community where anyone can create a profile and present themselves as a student, Vacua places emphasis on verifying its users.
“We wanted to build something different,” says Yusuff. “When you join a student community, you should have some confidence that the people you are interacting with are actually students. You shouldn’t have to rely entirely on a Facebook profile or whatever someone tells you about themselves.”
The platform combines student communities with a peer-to-peer marketplace where students can buy, sell and exchange goods and services.
Its verification approach also extends to businesses, professionals and service providers joining the platform.
Vacua is seeking providers across areas including immigration and visa support, university admissions, scholarship guidance, accountancy and financial advice, tutoring, food and grocery services, relocation, transport, technology, healthcare, counselling, career support and student travel.
The first group of service providers has already joined the platform, offering services including scholarship guidance, university admission counselling, visa support, relationship counselling and access to food and other basic amenities.
“We don’t just want businesses to advertise to students,” says Yusuff. “We want to build an ecosystem where students can discover useful services while having greater confidence in the people and organisations they are dealing with.”
The motivation behind Vacua is partly rooted in Yusuff’s own experience as an international student.
After arriving in the UK, he experienced difficulties finding accommodation and navigating life in a new country. His experience with informal online marketplaces also exposed him to the risks students can face when dealing with unknown individuals online.
The platform’s approach is therefore centred on introducing verification and vetting measures within the student community.
The aim is not to eliminate every risk, but to provide students with a more structured environment when connecting with other people and accessing services.
“Security is something we take seriously,” says Yusuff. “We know that students are trusting us with their information and using our platform to interact with other people. We have a responsibility to take that seriously.”
Vacua Students launched in Manchester in July 2026 and has since expanded its reach to students at universities including Aston University, the University of Warwick, Birmingham City University, the University of Birmingham and Coventry University.
Within its first five days, Vacua recorded 6,890 impressions and 700 downloads. More than 10 student communities had also been created, while the platform completed its first marketplace transaction.
The company is now focused on expanding its network of verified businesses and service providers across the UK.
For international students, the platform’s proposition is built around access to people, services and opportunities within a community where verification plays a central role.
Businesses and professionals interested in joining the Vacua Students ecosystem are invited to get in touch.
Visit: www.vacuastudents.com