Urgent fraud alert: Fake Unisa e-mails requesting payments

Unisa wishes to alert all students to a serious and coordinated fraud scheme currently targeting members of the university community. 

We have identified highly convincing fraudulent e-mails that appear to be from Unisa and request payment relating to

• registration confirmation.
• study material delivery.
• accommodation or residence arrangements.

These e-mails are NOT sent by Unisa.

Please take note of the following critical facts:

• Unisa does not request payments via e-mail.
• Unisa does not request accommodation deposits via e-mail.
• Unisa does not request payment for study material delivery.
• Official Unisa banking details are communicated only via the official Unisa website.
• References to "residences" and study material payments are inconsistent with Unisa's CODeL model.

Some fraudulent e-mails use addresses formatted to appear institutional (eg ending in @unisa.ac.za). These addresses are fake.

What you must do immediately

• Do NOT make any payments in response to such e-mails.
• Do NOT click on links or reply to suspicious messages.
• Verify all payment information directly on unisa.ac.za
• Report suspicious e-mails to your regional office or through official Unisa communication channels.
• Report suspicious e-mails to the Whistleblower Hotline, it is a Toll-Free Number - 0800 075 278.

Unisa is actively investigating this matter with internal stakeholders and external partners to protect our students.

Your vigilance is critical. Please share this alert with fellow students to prevent further losses.