Contract cheating – How to identify it and protect yourself

Not all offers of ‘assignment help’ are what they seem. Find out how to identify contract cheating services, avoid the risks they pose, and access safe, endorsed and free study support at RMIT instead.

As the semester progresses and assignments pile up, you may come across offers of ‘assignment help’. While some may be legitimate RMIT support services, others cross the line into contract cheating by offering to complete your work for you.

Knowing how to identify contract cheating services – and where to find endorsed study support – can help you succeed in your studies while protecting your academic integrity, personal information and future career.

15 July 2026

What is contract cheating, and what are the risks?

Contract cheating is when you pay someone else to complete some or all the work that you submit as your own.

It’s a breach of academic integrity, and can result in you failing a course, getting suspended from your program or even expulsion from RMIT.

By engaging these services, you're also exposing yourself to significant cybersecurity risks. Some contract cheating services are criminal organisations and have been known to exploit students by obtaining sensitive personal information, including their student login details. This leaves students vulnerable to identity theft, fraud and unauthorised account access.

Students may initially turn to these services believing they're getting affordable assignment help, only to face ongoing demands for money or personal data, with threats that their involvement will be reported to the university. What starts as a short-term 'solution' can quickly lead to blackmail and extortion, with serious academic, financial and personal consequences.

These consequences can have long-term impacts on your studies and your employability after you graduate.

How to identify contract cheating services

Contract cheating services often mask their service as offering "study help" and usually target students both online and on campus.

You might have seen a flyer on a notice board or received a follow request on Instagram. Some contract cheating services will even infiltrate Teams and WhatsApp group chats.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) advises that 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.

How to protect yourself and your classmates

Don’t engage! Politely, but firmly, remove yourself from any in-person interactions, and block unsolicited messages received via social media, group chats or email that offer study support, essay writing or other contract cheating services. If you’ve been targeted by email, you can also report it using the ‘Report phishing’ button. Find out how to report phishing via your student email account
Do not give anyone your RMIT username and password. This puts your student credentials and personal data at risk. It also provides access to the RMIT network, where they could deploy malware, and steal intellectual property and other students’ personal information
Be aware of the information you share on social media and consider your privacy settings. This may help reduce your chances of being targeted
If you become aware of contract cheating recruiters or activities, report it! If there is an immediate threat to your or another student’s safety, or you feel threatened, report it to RMIT Security immediately. If there isn’t an immediate threat, you can contact Safer Community for support. If you’ve identified a fellow RMIT student who is soliciting contract cheating, you should also report them to the Student Integrity team by emailing student.conduct@rmit.edu.au
Get help through the right channels - use endorsed RMIT study support services, like peer mentoring, one-on-one study consultations or our genAI chatbot Val, which are free for students! If you’re experiencing challenges with your studies, be sure to reach out to your teacher or course coordinator too. They can help you access the right study support and ensure you understand and maintain academic integrity.

What to do if you’ve engaged a contract cheating service

If you have already engaged a contract cheating service, either intentionally or unknowingly, you should take these steps immediately to protect yourself:

If there is an immediate threat to your or another student’s safety, or you feel threatened, report it to RMIT Security immediately. If there isn’t an immediate threat, you can contact Safer Community for support. These services can help you to take the appropriate steps to remove any risk to your safety and/or the integrity of your studies
To prevent them from accessing your student data and RMIT platforms, you should also change your password (it only takes a few minutes!).

While it may seem scary to fess up, it’s always better to report it yourself, than wait and be caught out later.

Contract cheating services profit by taking advantage of students when they’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or under pressure. While these services may promise an easy solution, the risks to your academic record, personal information and future opportunities can be significant.

The best way to protect yourself is to avoid engaging with contract cheating services, safeguard your RMIT login details and seek support through trusted and endorsed university services.

And remember, if you have been targeted by a contract cheating service or you’re concerned that your information may have been compromised, support is available.

Contacts and more information

If there is an immediate threat to yours or another student’s safety, or you feel threatened, report it to RMIT Security
If there isn’t an immediate threat, but you’ve identified or have been approached by a contract cheating service, you can contact Safer Community for support
If you’ve identified a fellow RMIT student soliciting contract cheating, or if you have any other questions or concerns about contract cheating, email student.conduct@rmit.edu.au
For legit, safe and free support with your studies, check out Study support
Find out more about your academic integrity responsibilities, and how to avoid a breach
Or, if you’re not sure where to start, contact Student Connect.

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Contract cheating – How to identify it and protect yourself