Student scams

University fee scam

You receive a phone call or message advising that you can receive a discount on your course fees if you pay via a third party, instead of paying your fees directly to UQ. The requested payment method may be:

• gift cards
• cryptocurrency
• direct payment to a third party

Only pay your fees via the methods outlined in your my.si-net account under the Financials tab. The University will never ask you to make payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency.

If you have questions about fee payment contact Student Central.

Chinese authority scam

International students tend to be the target of this scam. You are contacted by a person pretending to be a Chinese authority figure, such as a police officer, government or immigration official. The caller will often speak in Mandarin and tell you that you are in trouble and threaten you with criminal prosecution in China unless you pay a sum of money. The caller claims the payment is to prove your innocence while they investigate the crime. 

Variations of this scam may include the following threats if the payment is not made:
•    your visa will be cancelled
•    your university enrolment will be cancelled
•    you will be deported
•    you will be arrested
•    you will be evicted
•    your family will be in danger if you try to contact them.

It is important to understand that government agencies, banks and other large organisations will not threaten you or ask you to pay a fine over the phone. If you receive a call of this nature hang up immediately and reach out to someone you trust for assistance such as a UQ Student Advisor or your family and friends.

Rental property scam

Properties may be advertised in an online classified ad or a social media post by a person posing as a property manager or owner. They will then ask you to pay money or provide personal information to secure the property when the property isn't available to rent or doesn’t exist.

Always check the credentials of private advertisers promoting rental properties. Never transfer money, including the bond until you have inspected the property and signed an RTA lease agreement.

For more information on rental scams visit Residential Tenancies Authority. 

Employment scam

You are offered a job and asked to pay money upfront to cover work expenses you will be reimbursed for. The business itself or the actual job doesn’t exist. The scammer takes the money and you are left out of pocket. Scammers also try to recruit people to launder money and to acquire personal documents or information such as passports and bank account details. IDCARE provides more information about employment scams in this fact sheet.

Always verify the existence of the business and person offering the job. If you are offered a job and are not required to do an interview, this may be a sign it is an employment scam. 

The following scenarios are common signs of a scam:

• An unexpected phone call or message asking you to click on a link, open an attachment or act upon an urgent instruction with negative consequences if you don’t.
• Someone requests asking you to verify your personal details or update your password.
• Someone asks you to send money to a third party.
• Correspondence that doesn't address you by name and may contain spelling or grammatical errors.
• The contact or URL isn't legitimate.

Stop

Never click on a link, download an attachment, or share personal information (such as account details) without pausing first to consider whether the message or call could be fake. Always be cautious of any contact making urgent demands. 

Check

Check whether the call or message is fake before responding. You can do this by contacting the organisation, using details available on their legitimate website, and confirming if they have requested information.

Report

If you encounter a potential scam or phishing attempt, via email or phone, report the incident to Reportcyber. If it involves a UQ account, advise the UQ Cyber Security team. You can also report the matter to Australia’s ScamWatch and contact IDCARE for assistance. Your vigilance in reporting a scam can help protect yourself, your friends and peers.

Refer to Recover from hacks, scams and data breaches for information on what to do if you've been scammed.

Learn about the latest scams and fraud tactics from the following Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) resources:

• Little Black Book of Scams
• Types of Scams
• Subscribe to scam alert emails
• National Anti-Scam Centre warns of spike in scams threatening Chinese students / 国家反诈骗中心警告：针对中国学生的诈骗活动激增