Sector alert: Commercial academic cheating service activities on campus

12 February 2026

TEQSA is aware of accounts of aggressive and direct promotional activities of commercial academic cheating services that target students studying for an Australian higher education award. The accounts suggest operators of these services are approaching students on campuses to promote their services and collect students’ contact details. This follows concerns TEQSA raised in a previous sector alert, of students being approached in online environments, including directly through email, social media and class groups set up in messaging apps.

These accounts suggest these activities are organised and coordinated and may involve:

  • coercing students who have previously used commercial academic cheating services, under threats of blackmail, to sign-up other students
  • offering students incentives and convenient ways to register or sign-up for commercial academic cheating services.

Engaging illegal academic cheating services may leave students vulnerable to identity theft and blackmail, and increase cyber security risks for students and higher education providers.

Background

Amendments to the TEQSA Act in September 2020 made it illegal to provide or advertise a commercial academic cheating service in Australia. Since then, TEQSA has worked to block illegal cheating websites and remove social media accounts and posts that advertise these services, disrupting their business model.

In April 2024, TEQSA issued a sector alert to providers advising of changes in the marketing and promotional behaviour of commercial academic cheating services. The alert highlighted the direct promotional activities used by these operators to target students through email or via class groups set up in messaging apps or on social media platforms.

Research shows commercial academic cheating services are frequently coordinated by organised groups and can involve criminal behaviour, putting students who use them at risk of blackmail or identity theft. Blackmail activities can include demands for further payment, class materials or contact details of other students.

If you become aware of information or evidence relating to a commercial academic cheating service targeting your institution, or being used by students at your institution, you can lodge a report via our website.

Immediate provider actions

TEQSA stresses the need for Australian higher education providers to be vigilant in addressing risks to academic integrity by engaging in a range of activities to educate students, detect cheating, upskill staff and report cheating services.

TEQSA expects all providers to reassess the risks and effectiveness of their responses to these risks, including ensuring:

  • information on the risks of using these services is shared with students as part of their induction
  • the risks associated with using academic cheating services are clearly and regularly communicated to students as part of ongoing discussions about academic integrity
  • students are aware of how to access genuine study support, should they need it. Additional resources to support students with academic misconduct are available on our website
  • students and staff are aware of, and have clear pathways to, raise an alert with campus security (for example, via a security app or a phone number), should cheating service activities or recruiters on campus require an immediate response
  • students know how to access security and support services if, for example, they are experiencing blackmail
  • students and staff are made aware of the potential for class groups on messaging apps and social media platforms to be infiltrated by academic cheating services
  • students and staff are regularly reminded of their obligation to comply with IT security protocols
  • IT systems are monitored for suspicious activity, and spam filters and other tools are updated to quarantine emails to students that advertise illegal cheating services
  • consideration is given to reissuing the login credentials and requiring password updates
  • posters, business cards and other material posted or left on campus promoting commercial academic cheating services are promptly removed.

Resources

Previous relevant updates from TEQSA

Supports for students

TEQSA has the following supports for students available on our website:

Additional TEQSA resources

Information about Australia’s anti-commercial academic cheating laws

Related links