Fraud Awareness

Fraud is defined in the Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework to mean dishonestly obtaining (including attempting to obtain) a gain or benefit, or causing a loss or risk of loss, by deception or other means.[1] Such benefits may be financial, such as receiving a student fee refund or non-financial, such as an academic advantage.

A document is considered fraudulent (fake or falsified) when its original content or format has been altered or has been invented in any way by you or another person who has not issued the original document. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Information has been removed from a document, e.g. a reference number is deleted;
• Information has been changed in a document, e.g. a date has been changed;
• Information has been added to a document, e.g. a name has been added; 
• A document is produced that is known to have incorrect information; 
• A document is presented to have been issued by an official authority, such as a government department or hospital or licensed translator, but was not issued by that authority, e.g. an organisation’s logo or name is added to a document when the document was not issued by the organisation.
• Use of a person’s signature (identity fraud)

A document is not considered fraudulent merely when the original issuer of the document makes a correction on the document, and the correction has been properly annotated.

At ANU, we agree on a set of values which guide how we work, study, research and engage in campus life together. The Student Code of Conduct states these values and sets out our shared expectations for our student community.

If you create, provide or use fraudulent (fake or falsified) documents, you are breaching the Student Code of Conduct and you may be found to have engaged in misconduct under the ANU Discipline Rule. 

This can lead to a range of serious consequences, including having access to all University facilities removed, suspension or even exclusion from the University. Suspected complex fraud may also be referred to the Australian Federal Police. 

As an ANU student or applicant, you must provide documents as part of applications and administrative processes. This includes, but is not limited to applications for:

• Admission to study at ANU
• Assessment extensions and Extenuating Circumstances Application (ECA)
• Late Withdrawal due to Special Circumstances
• Program Leave for international students
• Reduced Study Load for international students
• Education Access Plans (EAP) for academic adjustments

Documents must be issued by authorities, such as educational institutions, government departments or medical professionals, so the University can determine if you meet certain requirements and verify that you are eligible for the particular benefit or outcome you are applying for. 

ANU staff verify the authenticity of documents provided as part of the application assessment process. This means they check if these documents are true and genuine. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Contacting the authority to confirm that the authority issued the document;
• Requesting to view the original document;

• Comparing documents from a current application with other documents and information, such as documents the student submitted with past applications or publicly available information.

You should provide authentic documentation in all applications to the University. To ensure the documents you obtain are true and genuine, it is recommended that you source documents only from reputable sources, such as:

• Government and other official institutions, such as official registries for births, deaths and marriages, education institutions or police departments;

• Hospitals and other official health services, e.g. ACT Health;

• Medical practitioners registered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), including psychologists. A range of medical and wellbeing services are available at the University, and you can find their contact details on the Support - wellbeing, medical, academic webpage;

• Licensed translators can be found via the NAATI website. 

When obtaining documentation, please ensure to check carefully that all information is true and correct. This includes the date the document was issued and translated.

The University advises against obtaining certificates from online providers, especially through services advertised on social media. Where possible, you should see a medical practitioner in-person, especially if it is your first visit with that particular medical practitioner. 

For some processes, certificates from online providers are not accepted (see Late Withdrawal: Documentation that is not accepted as independent evidence).

If you have any questions or experience difficulties in obtaining genuine and authentic documents, please get in touch with Student Central or the Dean of Students Office.