Beware of scams

Don't get tricked by scammers. Find out how to spot them and what to do if you're targeted.

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Scams are increasing in frequency and severity with scammers often targeting international students, including those at UNSW.

Scams are a way of tricking people into handing over money or personal details. Most students think they will never fall for a scam, but many do. That’s because scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Remember that UNSW will mainly charge you for your tuition fees, SSAF, or rent for on-campus accommodation, if applicable.

If you are unsure of the validity of any UNSW emails or text messages, contact The Nucleus: Student Hub to confirm.

Report a suspicious activity

If you see someone behaving suspiciously on campus, or you are receiving suspicious communications (phone calls, messages or emails), report it immediately. UNSW Protective services will be able to connect you quickly to relevant support services and help you file a report to the police, if needed.

Report an incident

Latest scams

Fraudulent job listings

Phishing

Groups with cult-like behaviours

What is it?

There have been reports of groups recruiting students on and around campus under the guise of religious or social activities. These cults or cult-like groups would use concerning tactics and behaviours to keep members within their groups, making it difficult for them to leave. It may involve isolating members from their loved ones by trapping them in an intensive commitment.

Common techniques for recruitment

In the past, cults or groups exhibiting cult-like behaviours have targeted students and approached them on campus by:

Asking personal questions for a survey
Offering coffee for a chat
Inviting students to free social group events.

Some of the behaviours or activities conducted by these groups have been reported to result in them isolating their members from their families and friends, verbal abuse, and causing sleep deprivation.

At UNSW, we want to ensure the safety of our students and the broader UNSW community. We advise that you remain vigilant when in public spaces and engaging with people or organisations that you don't know.

What to do

If you feel unsafe while conversing with people you don't know, try to leave the conversation as soon as possible
Stay in public areas where there are always people around to observe any incidents
Flag down nearby security staff if they refuse to let you walk away
Contact UNSW Security if you feel unsafe or would like to report an incident on campus.

Contact Security

See all scams

What to do if you suspect a scam

1. Keep yourself safe

Do not provide any information to a suspected scammer.
Hang up if your receive a suspicious phone call and delete any suspicious texts, emails or posts.
Report any suspected financial scam to your bank immediately.
Read our tips on staying cyber safe.

2. Report and get support

Contact UNSW Protective Services, opens in a new window for support or guidance on further actions
Don't be afraid to speak up and seek advice. Speaking up protects you, your family and other students.
Seek support from Psychology and Wellness, opens in a new window or a Student Support Advisor if you have been targeted and need help.

When to suspect a scam

There are several common signs to identify when trying to spot a scammer. They might:

Impersonate other people:

Australia's immigration office or other government departments
An official visa agent
Australian Police
A property rental agent

Ask for money or information:

Provide personal, bank or credit card details
Send money to a third party
Pay additional student fees or a fine
Pay additional money for your visa

Threaten for not complying like:

Your visa will be cancelled
Your place at university will be cancelled
You will fail your course
You will be deported or arrested
You will lose your job

Types of scams

Read about how to spot a scam, what to do if you fall victim to one, and some specific examples of common and recent scams.

Over time, scams have evolved to become more specific, targeting university applicants and students. Be sure to verify any communications from UNSW with The Nucleus: Student Hub if you are a current student, or with the Future Student team if you are an applicant.

There are reports of organisations falsely claiming to be the UNSW Admissions and Scholarships team or that they are working with the team. They send members of the public false admission or scholarship offers with a UNSW letterhead to trick people into paying an acceptance fee for a fake offer.

What to do

We have an official network of agent partners and representatives with whom we work closely to provide support to future students. Find a list of official representatives here

If you are unsure of the validity of your offer letter, you can log onto the Accept Online portal to check or submitting an Admissions enquiry

You can report any approaches from these companies to the UNSW Conduct & Integrity Office.

What's being done?

The Conduct and Integrity Office (CIO) is working with UNSW Legal and Compliance to send a cease-and-desist letter and will separately report the matter to NSW Police.

There are reports of individuals posing as education agents who are targeting international applicants across Chinese social media platforms. They claim that they can help students get their offers of study re-issued if they have been withdrawn from UNSW for a fee. This is false.

What to expect

These claims are fraudulent and these entities are not official representatives of UNSW. Only the UNSW Admissions & Scholarships team can issue offers to students. These decisions cannot be influenced or changed by external parties.

What to do

We have an official network of agent partners and representatives with whom we work closely to provide support to future students. Find a list of official representatives here

If you have received another offer to study at UNSW and are unsure of the validity of your offer letter, you can log onto the Accept Online portal, opens in a new window to check or submitting an Admissions enquiry, opens in a new window

You can report any approaches from these companies to the UNSW Conduct & Integrity Office.

Scammers may impersonate UNSW departments or officials, and claim you have outstanding tuition fees that must be paid directly to a bank account. The bank details used for this phishing scam are not owned by UNSW. The goal of this scam is to manipulate victims into transferring money to an individual that is not affiliated with the university.

What to expect

At UNSW, information on payment methods and details can be accessed through myUNSW and will not be disclosed through email or text messages. Our communications to you will also never include sensitive information such as bank account details when prompting you to pay for an outstanding fee.

What to do

If you receive an email or letter claiming late payments or outstanding tuition fees, look out for the following signs:

Ensure the sender's email address ends with '@unsw.edu.au'

Spot for spelling mistakes

Call-to-actions should lead to myUNSW instead of personal bank accounts (i.e. containing BSB and account numbers).

Avoid clicking on links within the email if you are unsure about its validity. Check myUNSW, opens in a new window to verify the message or contact The Nucleus: Student Hub to confirm the origin and validity of the email.

Scammers are using stolen credit cards to pay for an international student's tuition fees. They pretend to be authorised agents of universities and offer to pay students' tuition fees on their behalf at a discounted rate.

What to expect

Scammers would make the full payment to the university on behalf of the student and instruct the student to pay them the discounted tuition fee directly to the scammer's bank account. The payment to the university would then be cancelled as the scammer has used a fraudulent credit card to complete the transaction.

What's being done to prevent this?

The Conduct & Integrity Office (CIO) has reported these scams to NSW Police and the Australian Signals Directorate. We have put controls and protocols in place for these reports and have relayed this procedure to relevant areas of the University including Finance, Security, Registrar and reception.

The CIO is working with UNSW Protective Services and the Division of Education & Student Experience to warn students of the scam and to prevent further victims and fraud. A report is being prepared for the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

Beware of scammers who offer to alter your academic records for money on WeChat. They falsely claim they can change grades, secure fee remission, or amend student records in exchange for money. No services or companies outside of UNSW can influence or guarantee the outcomes of Fee Remission, Review of Results, or change any aspects of a student's records.

What to expect

Victims of this scam are usually approached by a person or 'agent' claiming to be from an educational organisation that focuses on helping underperforming students. They may also pretend to be students and join WeChat groups to look for their targets. The next step would then be to approach individual students separately by sending them friend requests.

Tips

Decline friend requests from unknown users or suspicious accounts

Be cautious when sending messages in WeChat groups

Avoid sharing personal information on social media with strangers.

Contract cheating companies, often disguised as tutoring companies, are known to take your money and cheat you out of the education you deserve. These contract cheating companies position themselves as being officially connected to UNSW and can put you in danger of blackmail, identity theft, and being in breach of the UNSW Student Code of Conduct and Values. They are not connected to the University in any way.

What to expect

Commercial academic cheating services are illegal in Australia, with penalties of up to two years in jail for anybody found to be providing this service. If you use cheating services, you could:

fail your subject or course

be suspended or excluded from university

lose your visa

lose your professional accreditation

be blackmailed by cheating service operators.

Contract cheating scammers may also pretend to be students, attending campus and targeting international students to get them to sign up to groups on social media by scanning a QR code.

What to do

If you are being blackmailed, please report this to the Conduct & Integrity Office (CIO) as soon as possible. You can also contact Arc Legal & Advocacy for advice about academic misconduct and how to get help from UNSW.

If you require academic support, book an appointment with an Academic Learning Facilitator, opens in a new window instead.

Scammers are offering fake airport shuttle services to new international students travelling to Australia with the promise of taking them from Sydney Airport to UNSW. Students will be prompted to pay for the service days in advance and will lose contact with the scammer once they arrive in the country.

What to do

Do not accept a lift with anyone you do not know or have not booked a shuttle or transfer with - only use pre-booked shuttles or transfers

UNSW provides a free airport pick-up through Sydney Super Shuttle for new and returning international students. The shuttle transports students from Sydney Airport to UNSW Campus and select accomodation providers.

UNSW airport service
Financial scams can come in many forms, including credit card data theft, bank transfers, gift cards and many more. If you suspect that you've been engaged in a scam, secure your account and contact your bank immediately for support.

Rental scams trick people into paying money for accommodation that doesn't exist or isn't actually available. In the current competitive rental market, scammers target vulnerable people in our community, particularly international students.

What to expect

Scammers are advertising false accommodation through messaging services such as Kakao, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. These properties would then be inspected on behalf of the victim, which would turn out to be a holiday accommodation and not available for rent. These scammers would demand a bond and rental payments upfront for a property that they are not allowed to rent out to others.

Tips

Never share personal information or send money to strangers.

Avoid paying for a rental property by transfer or cash as these payments methods are difficult to trace

Pay bonds through trusted third parties such as NSW Fair Trading Rental Bonds Online, who will lodge and refund bond money securely

Use well-known platforms and research properties and agents - only use well-known platforms

Never pay upfront for a property before you’ve seen it in person - scammers may display impressive photos of properties or ask for a deposit before you've inspected it

Be cautious of properties with significantly lower prices than other comparable rental properties in the area or landlords who pressure you to sign a lease quickly

Understand your rental rights.

What to do

Speak to the Off-Campus Accommodation Support (OCAS), opens in a new window team or Arc - UNSW Student Life, opens in a new window for advice on tenancy and rental enquiries.

Money mules are individuals recruited by criminals to receive and transfer stolen money. Often targeted through online and in-person offers, these mules unknowingly assist in money laundering and other illegal activities.

Contact Protective Services

Report to NSW Police

What to expect

Victims are approached via social media, email, online pop-up ads or fake job offers (e.g. money transfer agents)

The money being transferred is often used by criminals to fund other serious crimes like cybercrime, terrorism, and human trafficking.

In Australia, participating in money muling is a serious criminal offence. If convicted, you can face anywhere from 12 months to life in prison.

Tips

Reflect on whether the offer is too good to be true - be on guard

Do not engage with any online posts offering large sums of money

Do not share your personal and banking details with anyone you don't know of trust, even among friends or family.

Read more

Sexual extortion (or sextortion, or image-based abuse) is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate personal images of you online unless their demands are met. These demands are typically for money, more intimate images or sexual favours.

What is considered as an intimate personal image?

The image does not need to be pornographic to be intimate. An 'intimate image' means an image (or altered image) of a person's private parts, or of a person engaged in a private act where they would reasonably expect to be afforded privacy. Examples include showering, bathing, using the toilet, engaging in a sexual act, or any other similar activity.

What to do

If you experience sexual extortion, ensure you record communications as evidence:

Save text messages, voicemail and/or photos, including dates and times

Use screenshots and save the image as the date and time it was taken (include the URL in the screenshot where possible)

Do not pay or send any more images or videos yourself

Stop all contact with the blackmailer

Notify the relevant social media platform

Change the passwords for your social media and online accounts and review the privacy and security settings of your accounts

Get support from a trusted friend or family member, or from an expert counselling and support service if you are feeling anxious or stressed.

Report to the NSW Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or to your local police station. You may also call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Contact NSW Police

Report to UNSW

Scammers are advertising fake job opportunities across social media platforms with the promise of flexible working arrangements, high rates of pay, and no experience required. Scammers will prompt victims to pay using their own money or cryptocurrency to access further tasks or unlock commissions.

What to expect

Official recruiters will never send unsolicited messages on encrypted messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram or Messenger. If you receive a job offer without an interview, reference checks, and without submitting your resume, the offer is likely a scam.

What to do

Avoid job opportunities that require upfront payments in order to be considered

Verify the business by contacting them through their official channels before proceeding with any opportunities

If your financial data have already been compromised, contact your bank immediately for further support.

Learn more
Many scams are carried out by individuals pretending to be representing an organisation or government authority with the aim to get victims to send their money, give away their personal information, or control the victims.

There are numerous emails, text messages and social media posts being circulated that prompt you to click on a link for more information. When clicking on this link, malicious software would then gain access to your devices and obtain your personal and financial information.

Tips:

Do not click on any links unless the URLs are hosted on official domains. For example:

unsw.edu.au/ or unsw.to/

[...].gov.au/

Report or mark communications as phishing through your email platform

Delete and do not reply to suspicious texts, emails or posts.

Learn more

There have been reports of groups recruiting students on and around campus under the guise of religious or social activities. These cults or cult-like groups would use concerning tactics and behaviours to keep members within their groups, making it difficult for them to leave. It may involve isolating members from their loved ones by trapping them in an intensive commitment.

Common techniques for recruitment

In the past, cults or groups exhibiting cult-like behaviours have targeted students and approached them on campus by:

Asking personal questions for a survey

Offering coffee for a chat

Inviting students to free social group events.

Some of the behaviours or activities conducted by these groups have been reported to result in them isolating their members from their families and friends, verbal abuse, and causing sleep deprivation.

At UNSW, we want to ensure the safety of our students and the broader UNSW community. We advise that you remain vigilant when in public spaces and engaging with people or organisations that you don't know.

Tips

If you feel unsafe while conversing with people you don't know, try to leave the conversation as soon as possible

Stay in public areas where there are always people around to observe any incidents

Flag down nearby security staff if they refuse to let you walk away.

What to do

Contact UNSW Security if you feel unsafe or would like to report an incident on campus.

Contact Security

Virtual kidnappings involve online scammers impersonating a Chinese government official and convincing victims they have been implicated in a crime and must pay large amounts of money or cryptocurrency into offshore Chinese bank accounts to avoid being deported or arrested.

What would usually happen in this situation?

If victims can't transfer money to overseas bank accounts, they're told to fake their kidnapping

Victims must buy a new phone and not use their old one at all to make the kidnapping look real

They must book a hotel or Airbnb and only communicate with the "government official". Some victims are even told to travel interstate or overseas

Victims are told to buy a rope and makeup, tie themselves up, and make it look like they've been beaten

Victims are told to take photographs and videos of themselves whilst tied up and to send them to their parents, to create the impression they have been kidnapped

Scammers would then threaten to jail the victims' parents if they don't pay

Some male victims are told to go to addresses where female victims are staying and act as a government official for the scammers

Scammers use false police IDs and fake police stations to convince victims of the threat's legitimacy.

What to do

Immediately contact NSW Police or UNSW Protective Services for support

Don’t use any contact details provided by the caller. Verify their identity by calling the relevant organisation directly.

Call NSW Police

Contact Security

Scammers target victims using pre-recorded messages about a parcel being on hold, left as voicemail or through messaging platforms. This is followed by threats from false government authorities claiming that victims have been implicated in a crime and that a parcel with their name on it has been intercepted.

What do scammers want?

Victims are told they must transfer large sums of money to prevent themselves or any of their family or friends from being deported or charged. This is always a lie. Only the Australian Department of Home Affairs can cancel your visa or deport you. Any other organisations or authories do not have the power to do this.

What to do

Hang up immediately if you receive such a call

Report the incident to ScamWatch, opens in a new window and NSW Police, opens in a new window

Never provide personal, credit card, or online account details over the phone.

Mandarin factsheet

English factsheet

Victims are instructed by a false authority or government official to pay a sum of money or risk being deported or having their visa cancelled. Some scammers may also be pretending to be from UNSW.

Examples

Immigration & visa compliance - pretending to be from UNSW College - example.

Gift-card scams - with scammers blackmailing and threatening victims if they do not purchase gift cards and provide the codes over the phone - read more on the ACCC website and on the Apple website.

What to do

Hang up.

Do not pay any money.

Contact UNSW Protective Services or your Consulate in Sydney for advice.

Report to the NSW Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or to your local police station. You may also call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

If they have your bank details, contact your bank immediately.

Warn your friends and family about this scam.

Follow

Beware of scams

Scams are increasing in frequency and severity with scammers often targeting international students, including those at UNSW.

See also

Report a suspicious activity