In today’s digital age, scammers continue to evolve their tactics, preying on hopeful students and professionals alike. Recently, a fraudulent website ujonline.co.za has emerged, misleadingly impersonating the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to deceive potential applicants. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself and avoid falling victim to this scheme.
What Is UJOnline.co.za?
UJOnline.co.za is a fraudulent website mimicking a legitimate educational platform. It uses the University of Johannesburg’s branding and colours to appear credible. The site offers an extensive list of “online courses” for 2025, along with a downloadable prospectus that appears professional but is entirely fabricated and copied from the TUT prospectus.
The platform's content is riddled with red flags, including:
- Fake Course Listings: The website boasts over 500 courses, yet the course details are generic, poorly formatted, and often copied from other sources.
- Unrealistic Fees: Claims such as “Study with UJ for free in 2025” or requiring only minimal registration fees are often hallmarks of scams.
- Poor Website Design: Despite using the TutorLMS WordPress plugin, the site is filled with demo content and lacks functionality.
Red Flags of the Scam
- Domain Registration Details:
- The domain ujonline.co.za was registered on 27 February 2024 and is set to expire in February 2025. Genuine universities usually have established, longstanding domains.
- Registrant details are hidden using privacy protection, a common tactic among scammers.
- Social Media Deception:
- A TikTok influencer, @sheisbigsteppa (see video below), promotes the website, claiming students can study for free in 2025. Such endorsements often involve influencers being promised a share of the profits.
- Fake Prospectus:
- The prospectus found on the website and uploaded as part of this investigation is a blatant copy of generic course brochures, with minimal effort to make it appear unique. It lists courses with no legitimate backing and includes fake contact details.
- Non-Accredited Courses:
- The platform's courses are not accredited and the people promoting them across social media tout/promote them as accredited by SAQA which is false.
- Suspicious Payment Requests:
- Registration fees are promoted as low as R80 or R1,000. These amounts are designed to entice individuals into making payments before realizing the platform is fake.
How to Identify and Avoid Scams
- Verify Website Authenticity:
- Always check the official website of an institution. For the University of Johannesburg, the official domain is online.uj.ac.za.
- Inspect Domain and Contact Information:
- Look for red flags like recent domain registrations, hidden registrant details, and unusual email addresses. Legitimate universities use official email domains.
- Avoid Unrealistic Promises:
- Offers that sound too good to be true, like free tuition or minimal registration fees, are likely scams.
- Report Suspicious Activity:
- Notify the University of Johannesburg or the South African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) about fraudulent websites impersonating legitimate institutions.
- Use Trusted Resources:
- Platforms like UniApplyForMe can help you verify the authenticity of educational institutions and their offerings.
What You Should Do
If you’ve interacted with UJOnline.co.za, take immediate steps to protect yourself:
- Cease Communication: Stop engaging with the website or its representatives.
- Check Financial Transactions: If you’ve made a payment, contact your bank to report potential fraud.
- Report the Website: Contact the relevant authorities, such as the Registrar's Abuse Contact at abuse@domains.co.za, to report the fraudulent domain.
- Spread Awareness: Share this warning with your network to prevent others from becoming victims.
Always stay vigilant and verify the legitimacy of platforms before providing personal information or payments. At UniApplyForMe, we are committed to protecting you from fraud and guiding you toward legitimate educational opportunities.
For further assistance or to report fraudulent activity, please contact us at info@apply.org.za.
Stay informed, stay cautious, and protect your future.
We'd like to thank @Shila for sharing this first on TikTok.
