January is an important month for education in South Africa as parents and learners embark on an exercise to find suitable schools, colleges and institutions of higher learning with the hope of furthering their education.
While some do get registered and find accommodation at a legitimate institution, for others the exercise ends in tears and broken hearts.
The police in the Free State have warned parents to be cautious of bogus accommodation providers that are only available over the phone and online, as well as institutions of higher learning that only exist by name and have no campuses.
Free State provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Baile Motswenyane, has pleaded with parents and guardians not to deposit money into any bank account before they physically visit the institution or view the available accommodation.
Motswenyane said parents need to do this to avoid being scammed, saying a number of cases were registered in the previous years in and around the province about parents falling prey to fraudsters.
“Let us stop bogus institutions and people who defraud guardians or parents of their education savings. If you suspect something dodgy, it probably is a fraud. Verify with the relevant body so you can save yourself from being scammed of your hard-earned cash,” said Motswenyane.
“In order to confirm if the institution of higher learning is registered and legitimate, please contact the Department of Higher Education and Training on 0800 872 222 or 012 312 6300/5881 before you deposit any funds into any account as provided by any institution.”
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