Sector alert: Changes in commercial academic cheating service activities in 2024

TEQSA has both observed and received reports about changes in the behaviour of commercial academic cheating services that target students studying for an Australian higher education award. The reports 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.

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’s work to block illegal cheating websites and remove social media accounts and posts that advertise these services, have disrupted the business of commercial academic cheating services. These actions, as well as the increasing sophistication and availability of generative artificial intelligence services (such as ChatGPT), may be driving the changes in behaviour.

In particular, TEQSA has observed a substantial reduction in internet traffic to websites offering contract cheating services and an increase in reports of students being approached directly through individual email messages or via class groups set up in messaging apps or on social media platforms.

Research shows contract cheating firms are commonly controlled by criminal syndicates, putting students who use these services at very real risk of blackmail or identity theft.

Blackmail activities can include demands for further payment, class materials or past assessment tasks, contact details of other students, or access to provider systems (such as the Learning Management System or the student’s email account).

Students who share personal information with commercial academic cheating services, such as their name and payment details, are at risk of identity theft. Additionally, students disclosing login details to a provider’s system present a cyber security risk that institutions need to be aware of and mitigate.

Provider actions

TEQSA appreciates that Australian higher education providers have been proactive in addressing risks to academic integrity by engaging in a range of activities to educate students, detect cheating and upskill staff.

Due to the increasingly aggressive marketing and blackmail tactics used by illegal academic cheating services, TEQSA encourages all providers to ensure:

  • 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, report an approach from a contract cheating service or get assistance if, for example, they are experiencing blackmail.
  • Students and staff are made aware of the potential for class groups on messaging and social media platforms to be infiltrated by contract cheating services.
  • Students and staff are regularly reminded of their obligation to not disclose university system passwords to anyone, and that genuine, ethical businesses will not request this information.
  • 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 for students that have had a finding of contract cheating upheld.
  • All staff with responsibilities for assessment, investigation or decision making regarding alleged academic misconduct or the design or administration of student misconduct policies receive training in contract cheating detection and deterrence. TEQSA’s self-directed online course, Masterclass: contract cheating detection and deterrence is available to all academic and professional staff of Australian higher education providers.
  • Posters, business cards and other material posted or left on campus promoting commercial academic cheating services are promptly removed.
  • Any information or evidence relating to a commercial academic cheating service targeting your institution, or being used by students at your institution, is shared with TEQSA. You can lodge a report via our website.

Additional resources

Please bookmark TEQSA's Protecting academic integrity page for a full and up-to-date listing of academic integrity materials for providers.

Information about Australia’s anti-commercial academic cheating laws

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