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Updated 12 Jun 2026
Guide · Safety · National

Spot and avoid university application scams.

The simplest defence is one rule: never pay university fees into a personal bank account, and never pay to "guarantee" a place or a room. Real universities take fees only through their own official channels. Here is how the scams work and how to stay safe.

Official warning. The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) publicly warned in January 2026: "No legitimate University representative will request that fees be paid into a personal bank account." If anyone asks you to pay a fee into a personal account, it is a scam.

How these scams work

Application season is the busy time for scammers, because so many families are stressed about places, funding, and accommodation. The cons take a few common shapes:

  • Fake officials online. A stranger on Facebook, WhatsApp, or TikTok claims to be a university "agent" or "admissions officer". They show fake screenshots of a "university system" and an acceptance letter, then push you to pay a fee quickly into a personal account.
  • Campus-gate "fixers". In person, near the gates or in long queues, someone offers to "sort out" your admission or accommodation for cash. They cannot, and will vanish once paid.
  • Fake accommodation. A "landlord" or "agent" advertises a room near campus, demands a deposit before you can view it, and disappears. The room either does not exist or is not theirs to let.
  • Fast-track and unlock scams. You are told you can "skip the queue", "fast-track" your application, or "unlock" your results for an extra fee. None of these are real services.
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Warning signs to watch for

  • Someone asks you to pay an application, registration, or "admin" fee into a personal bank account, an e-wallet, or a cash send. Universities collect fees through their own official channels, never a private account.
  • A "guaranteed place" or "guaranteed accommodation" is offered for an upfront fee. No legitimate person can guarantee admission or a residence bed for money.
  • You are contacted on Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, or SMS by an "agent", "official", or "fixer" who is not using an official university email or phone line.
  • You are shown screenshots of a "university system", an acceptance letter, or a "reference number" as proof, and pushed to pay quickly before you can check.
  • You are told to pay extra to "skip the queue", "fast-track" your application, or "unlock" your results.
  • You are asked for your application or portal login details, your ID, or banking details "to complete the process for you".
  • The deal has urgency and pressure: pay today, the offer expires tonight, only a few spaces left. Pressure is the tool every scammer uses.
  • A person at the campus gate or in a queue offers to "sort you out" with admission or a room for cash.

The golden rules

    01

    Apply only on official portals

    Apply on the university’s own application site, the CAO (for KwaZulu-Natal public universities), or the official UNISA portal. AskSmarty links the correct official portal on every programme and university page. If a link did not come from the institution itself, treat it as suspect.

    02

    Never pay into a personal account

    TUT publicly warned in January 2026: "No legitimate University representative will request that fees be paid into a personal bank account." Application and registration fees are paid only through the institution’s official banking details or payment page. A personal account, e-wallet, or cash send is always a scam.

    03

    Never pay to "guarantee" a place

    Admission and accommodation are decided on your results and the university’s own process, not on a fee. Nobody can sell you a place or a residence bed. Anyone who offers to is lying.

    04

    Never share your portal login

    Your application or student portal login is yours alone. No real official needs your password to "help" you. Sharing it lets a scammer change your details, redirect your application, or lock you out.

    05

    Slow down and verify

    Urgency is the trap. Before you pay or send anything, phone or email the university directly using the contact details on its official website (not the number the "agent" gave you) and confirm the request is real.

What to do if you have been scammed

    01

    Stop all contact and payments

    Do not send any more money and stop replying to the person. Save every message, screenshot, payment reference, account number, and phone number as evidence.

    02

    Contact your bank immediately

    If you paid, call your bank straight away and ask whether the payment can be reversed or the receiving account frozen. The sooner you act, the better the chance of recovery.

    03

    Tell the real university

    Phone or email the institution’s official admissions or fraud line (use the contact on its official site) and report the scam. They can confirm your real application status and warn other students.

    04

    Report it to the police

    Open a case at your nearest SAPS station and keep the case number. Fraud is a crime, and a case number helps your bank and the university act.

    05

    Secure your accounts

    If you shared a password, change it everywhere you used it. If you shared ID or banking details, watch your accounts and consider a credit-bureau alert.

How AskSmarty keeps you safe

  • We never take payment. AskSmarty is free. We do not collect application or registration fees, ever.
  • We never apply for you. We show you the information and link out to the official portal so you apply directly with the institution or the CAO.
  • We never ask for logins or banking details. Your portal password and bank details stay with you.
  • We link only to official sources. Every programme and university page points to the institution’s own application site, not a third party.
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Scam questions, answered

The clearest red flags are a request to pay into a personal bank account, e-wallet, or cash send; a "guaranteed" place or room for an upfront fee; contact through Facebook or WhatsApp instead of an official university channel; and pressure to pay quickly. A real university takes fees only through its own official payment channels and never guarantees admission for money.
No. TUT publicly warned in January 2026 that no legitimate university representative will ask for fees to be paid into a personal bank account. All application and registration fees are paid only through the institution’s official banking details or payment page. A personal account is always a scam.
No. Admission and residence places are decided by the university on your results and its own process, never sold for a fee. Scammers pose as officials and "campus-gate fixers", show fake system screenshots, and demand cash. Nobody can guarantee you a place or a bed for money.
No. Screenshots, acceptance letters, and reference numbers are easy to fake and are a common scam tactic. The only place to confirm your status is the official portal you applied through, or by phoning the university directly using the contact details on its official website.
Never share your login, password, ID, or banking details. No genuine university official needs your password to help you. Sharing it lets a scammer change your details, redirect your application, or lock you out of your own account.
Stop all contact, save every message and payment reference as evidence, and call your bank immediately to try to reverse the payment or freeze the receiving account. Report the scam to the real university’s official admissions or fraud line, and open a case with the SAPS. Change any passwords you shared.
No. AskSmarty is a free, independent guide. We never take payment, never apply for you, and never ask for your login or banking details. We only show you the information and link out to the official portal so you apply directly with the institution or the CAO.
AskSmarty is an independent national guide - not a university, college, the CAO, or any agent. This page explains how application, registration, and accommodation scams work so you can protect yourself; it is not official communication from any institution. Always confirm fees, deadlines, and your status directly with the official institution. We never take payment and never apply on your behalf.