Illegal cheating services are targeting legitimate Australian websites.

TEQSA has received evidence that some ‘edu.au’ websites have been compromised by malicious code, which redirects students to illegal cheating websites.

What we’re doing about this

TEQSA has informed all higher education providers of this risk and asked that action be taken to protect against this risk.

We’re also making use of Australia’s tough new laws to investigate illegal cheating websites and will soon be taking court action to block them.

What you can do

The type of malicious code these illegal cheating providers are inserting can result in what you think is a legitimate link taking you to a website operated by an illegal cheating service. This can make it difficult to detect. But there are some things you can do to protect yourself.

1. Check the URL of any page you click on and ensure it is the correct website.
2. When searching for academic support, use the search function within your institution’s website. Do not use a search engine.
3. Do not use any website that asks for payment from you in order to access ‘study support’ or which offers essay or assignment writing services.
4. Be wary when clicking links to any third-party website left in comments on a website or on social media pages.
5. Confirm that essay or other competitions are legitimate. Illegal cheating services sometimes hold fake contests in a bid to get student work to on-sell.
6. Never share your work online. This includes via social media or websites that ask for a sample of your work in return for ‘free’ support.
7. Report any suspect website link on your institution’s website to your institution’s website team.
8. Ensure you understand academic integrity. TEQSA’s resources for students are a great place to start.
9. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has more general information for individuals about staying safe online.

9 April 2021

TEQSA has been provided with examples of where Australian higher education provider websites appear to have been compromised by insertion of malicious code that redirects students to websites operated by illegal cheating services. 

The researchers who informed TEQSA have identified four key types of malicious code in their scan of the 'edu.au' domain:

• Search query redirect – code inserted into a provider’s website to redirect students to a cheating service website from specific URLs. 
• Content injection – embedding a link to a contract cheating website within a provider’s website.
• Comment injection – comments inserted to propagate or provide links to contract cheating services in discussion forums (especially in WordPress).
• Compromised recomposition – fake scholarship/essay contests inserted into provider websites, designed to harvest original student work that the commercial academic cheating companies then on-sell.

Such cyber security breaches on the 'edu.au' domain present a risk to student interests and the reputation of Australia’s higher education sector.

Provider actions

• TEQSA recommends your institution’s Chief Information Officer (or their equivalent) take immediate action to identify and remediate any malicious code insertions on your website or other online platforms.
• The Australian Cyber Security Centre has information on recommended mitigation strategies for Australian organisations, including a resource aimed at assessing security vulnerabilities and applying patches. 
• TEQSA also recommends providers remind students and staff about the importance of academic integrity and the risk posed by illegal cheating services. 
• TEQSA has developed dedicated suites of resources for academics and students to help strengthen academic integrity and combat illegal cheating services.
• TEQSA has also published advice for students on our website.
• Managing cyber security incidents helps ensure your institution remains compliant with the Higher Education Standards Framework, in particular, Standard 7.3.3 which requires providers to ensure information systems and records are maintained, securely and confidentially as necessary to “prevent unauthorised or fraudulent access to private or sensitive information, including information where unauthorised access may compromise academic or research integrity.”

Providers with any queries about this matter should email integrityunit@teqsa.gov.au.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) contains offences and civil penalty provisions relating to registered higher education providers and regulated entities. The offences and civil penalty provisions include where a:

• regulated entity offers a regulated higher education award and is not a registered higher education provider (section 105)
• regulated entity represents that it offers or confers a regulated higher education award and it is not a registered higher education provider (section 106)
• higher education provider offers a regulated higher education award that is not an honorary award, without requiring the completion of a course of study (section 107)
• regulated entity uses the word ‘university’ to represent itself, or its operations and it is not a registered higher education provider registered in a category that permits the use of the word ‘university’ (section 108)
• regulated entity falsely represents itself as a registered higher education provider (section 109)
• regulated entity falsely represents that it provides a course of study leading to a regulated higher education award (section 110)
• higher education provider falsely represents that a course of study is accredited (section 111)
• higher education provider provides all or part of a course of study leading to a regulated higher education award and the course of study is not accredited (section 112)
• person provides, offers to provide, or arranges for a third party person to provide, academic cheating services to a student (114A)
• person advertises academic cheating services to students (114B).

Failure to comply with a condition of registration or course accreditation may be a breach of a civil penalty provision (section 113 or 114). For more information about these provisions, providers and regulated entities should read the TEQSA Act.

More information about conditions that can be imposed under the TEQSA Act can be found on our Conditions of registration/accreditation page.

To deliver higher education courses to overseas students, you first need to apply to TEQSA to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

Applications for CRICOS registration usually take 3 to 6 months for TEQSA to assess. This timeframe is dependent on a high-quality application with minimal delays in responding to TEQSA’s requests. Information on the entire registration process and timeframes can be found here. Once CRICOS registration is granted, it can take a further 2 to 4 weeks for a CRICOS code to be issued and the newly registered provider listed on the CRICOS register. Providers are unable to advertise courses to overseas students or begin recruiting overseas students until CRICOS registration is granted and a CRICOS code has been issued by the Department of Education.

Key steps

1. Be registered as a higher education provider under the TEQSA Act

Before applying to be registered on CRICOS with TEQSA you must first be registered as a higher education provider under the TEQSA Act. TEQSA will not accept applications for CRICOS registration unless your institute has been registered as a higher education provider, except for providers seeking only to deliver English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses or Foundation Programs.

2. Prepare your application

Once registered as a higher education provider by TEQSA, you may begin to prepare your application for CRICOS registration. Please lodge your intention to apply for CRICOS registration by contacting the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.

TEQSA highly recommends that you closely review the requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code) to understand your obligations. Your application should demonstrate how you meet, or will meet, each of these obligations. The evidence requirements for applications for CRICOS Registration can be found in TEQSA’s Confirmed Evidence Table (CET).

• Download Confirmed Evidence Table for CRICOS Registration (MS Word, 140 KB)

3. Submit your application

Once all evidence has been prepared, you can submit your application through TEQSA's provider portal. TEQSA will initially determine whether the application is complete and includes all required evidence. If not, TEQSA will notify you of what evidence is missing and provide an opportunity to submit this evidence to complete the application.

4. TEQSA assesses the application

Once your application includes all required evidence, TEQSA will begin its assessment. TEQSA assesses the evidence to determine whether the provider will comply with all requirements of the ESOS Act, the National Code, and any other relevant legislation within the ESOS Framework.

If TEQSA identifies any areas where the application is not compliant with these legislative requirements, or at risk of non-compliance, TEQSA will outline its findings in a proposed decision. You will be afforded an opportunity to respond to these concerns and submit additional or revised evidence to demonstrate compliance, usually within 28 days.

5. TEQSA’s decision

TEQSA may approve or reject your application. In doing so, TEQSA will notify you of its decision and the reasons for the decision in writing.

If TEQSA approves the application, it may decide to approve a period of registration less than the maximum 7 years. TEQSA may also decide to impose conditions on your registration to manage any risks that have not been fully addressed in the application.

If TEQSA decides to reject the application, or if you are dissatisfied with TEQSA’s decision, you may seek a review of that decision. Information on your options for review are outlined on our Review of TEQSA Decisions page.

Further information

For more information or assistance applying for CRICOS registration, please contact the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.  
 

Application for registration and course accreditation

To become CRICOS registered, a provider must demonstrate that it complies with the requirements of the National Code.

The National Code 2018 provide nationally consistent standards and procedures for registered providers of education and training. TEQSA is responsible for monitoring registered higher education provider's compliance with the National Code.

The National Code 2018 is split in two parts:

• Part A – The Education Services For Overseas Students Framework
  • Sets out the objectives and purpose of the National Code 2018 and explains the underpinning legislative framework. The context, structure and application of the National Code 2018 are also covered by the Framework.
• Part B – Standards outlining the obligations on registered providers (and persons who deliver educational services on their behalf) in delivering education and training services to overseas students.
  • Outlines the Standards that registered providers must comply with.

View the National Code 2018 in full on the Federal Register of Legislation. 

View the Education services for overseas students: ESOS National Code – return to compliance.

Illegal cheating services threaten academic integrity, and they expose students to criminals. Research¹ shows operators of these illegal cheating services will threaten to inform the university or the student’s future employer about a student’s cheating unless the student pays them a large sum of money. 

Australia has banned commercial cheating services and promotion of these services to students. Laws against commercial cheating services include criminal penalties such as fines of up to $100,000 for operators. People who provide cheating services for free also face civil prosecution. These laws do not penalise students who use these services to engage in cheating but institutional discipline policies will continue to apply.

TEQSA has developed the following information to help students to identify, avoid and report illegal cheating services. This information is intended to complement, not replace, any advice you may receive from your institution. 

Identifying an illegal cheating service

Illegal commercial cheating services can include websites and individuals or groups that market or provide cheating services to students.

Illegal cheating services – sometimes also called contract cheating services – sell students essays or assignments, or accept payment for someone to sit exams on a student’s behalf. 

Often, these services market themselves as offering ‘study support’. Many of these illegal operators will ask students to upload previous work or material from their course to access the advertised ‘support’.

Some of these illegal services market aggressively via social media, email and on campus. They can also find you through your social media posts. For example, a student may post on social media about an essay they are writing and then receive numerous ‘bot’ messages offering illegal commercial cheating services.

Avoiding illegal cheating services

Identifying illegal cheating services can sometimes be difficult but you should always avoid any service that:

• promises to help write or improve your essay or assignment or sit an exam on your behalf in exchange for money
• offers unsolicited ‘study support’ via social media, email or on-campus advertising
• asks you to upload a previous example of your work, or materials from your course, in order to receive help
• offers to sell you study notes, exams or other assessment materials.

Tip: Blocking unsolicited messages received via social media or email offering study support, essay writing or other contract cheating services can help you avoid illegal cheating services and maintain your academic integrity. Be aware of the information you share on social media networks and consider your privacy settings. This may help you avoid being targeted by illegal cheating service operators.

Reporting illegal cheating services

TEQSA and Australia’s higher education providers work together to share intelligence about illegal cheating services. This supports institutions to protect student interests and academic integrity by securing their networks against illegal services.

Where to report a suspected commercial cheating service

To your provider

If you receive email material promoting suspected illegal cheating services via your institutional email account, or see a suspected cheating site on your institution’s network, report it to your school or university. You should also inform them if you see posters, notices or business cards on your campus promoting illegal cheating services.

To TEQSA

If you encounter a suspected illegal cheating service, you can report it by completing our online form.

Notes

1. Yorke, J., Sefcik, L., & Veeran-Colton, T. (2020). Contract cheating and blackmail: a risky business? Studies in Higher Education.