How contract cheating providers target students
A has flagged changes in the behaviour of commercial academic cheating services that target students studying for an Australian higher education award. Reports received by TEQSA suggest operators of these services are being more aggressive and direct in their promotional activities and are more frequently targeting users of their service for blackmail or identity theft.
It is important to be aware of the ways that illegal contract cheating providers may seek to target students, including:
- masquerading as legitimate ‘homework help’ or tutoring services
- contacting students on social media or via email
- attempting to gain access to student chat groups on WhatsApp or other platforms
- physical flyers and posters on campus
- recruiting students to promote their services.
Anyone can report a suspicious advert or service to the University using this form.
Consequences of contract cheating
If students engage with these services to outsource assignments, they are breaching the Academic Integrity Policy. However, they also run additional serious risks. Students who give away login credentials could be subject to identity theft or fraud. They also risk blackmail, as explained in this , which is part of a suite of contract cheating explainers which are available to share with students.
Supporting students
The University’s academic integrity module ()and student webpage contain information for students about what constitutes contract cheating and working with integrity. You may also wish to include some of this messaging about contract cheating in your courses.
Learn more about contract cheating
All staff have access to TEQSA’s self-directed online . This course is highly recommended to any staff wishing to learn more about contract cheating, including the business models, student risk factors, and methods of deterring and detecting contract cheating.
You can also watch a recording of the ADEPT Check for Integrity workshop run by the Academic Integrity Team. This session helps markers to identify the signs and signals of cheating in a range of assessment types.
If you have a concern about contract cheating in your course, contact the Academic Integrity Officer for your School.