We have received reports of students losing money to service providers that promised to make payments to the University on their behalf. These companies attract people by offering more attractive exchange rates than the banks. However, these service providers never transfer the student’s money on to the University.
Instead, they make payments on the student’s behalf using stolen credit cards. When the fraudulent credit card transactions are detected, the money received by the University is cancelled and it is returned to the original cardholder. This means that students would then still require to pay their fees, hence leaving them out of pocket.
Be alert and protect yourself from being scammed by following the tips below.
- Be alert to the fact that scams exist. When dealing with a new financial service provider, always consider the possibility that it may be a scam. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, do not proceed.
- Know who you are dealing with. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a business, take some time to do a bit more research. Make sure you only work with companies registered to provide financial services in your country. For example in Australia, only companies registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) can provide money transfer services. To confirm the legitimacy of a business, check the register on the AUSTRAC website.
- Learn how to identify different types of scams. Different types of scams are reported and published on the Scamwatch website which is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). It provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
- Never provide your OASIS account login details to a third party. Curtin staff members will NEVER ask for your login details for any reason.
It is highly recommended that students are aware of Curtin’s payment methods which are published on the Curtin Fees website. Students are recommended to exercise a high degree of caution should they pay using methods that are not listed on the Curtin Fees website.
