To uphold the integrity of our awards and administrative processes, RMIT has established processes to identify and prevent fraudulent activities, and can enforce consequences on those found to have engaged in fraudulent behaviour.
Fraudulent behaviour includes providing false or misleading information to RMIT with the intent to deceive. This includes the provision of fake or falsified documents, such as medical certificates, bank statements and letters of recommendation. This is known as ‘document fraud’.
Providing fraudulent documents will likely result in a student being referred to the Student Conduct process and consequences could include being expelled from the University.
The responsibility is on the student and applicant to make sure that documents submitted to RMIT are authentic. All students must be aware of their obligations and responsibilities as under the RMIT Student Conduct Policy.
Find out more about document fraud, how you can avoid it and where to access free support below.
Document fraud is when a person knowingly creates, alters or uses a document that contains misleading or false information. This includes:
A document is considered fraudulent when its content or format has been altered or fabricated by someone other than the original issuer. This may include instances where:
A document is not considered fraudulent when the original issuer makes a correction and properly annotates the change.
Document fraud also includes forging, altering, or misusing official University documents such as academic transcripts, testamurs, student ID cards or reference letters.
As part of the RMIT community, you are expected to adhere to our values, as outlined in the Student Charter (link leads to RMIT Australia).
Creating, submitting or using fraudulent documents constitutes a breach of the Student Charter and may be deemed misconduct under the Student Conduct Policy.
If a student or applicant submits false or misleading information to the University for any reason, they may, via the Student Conduct process, have the following consequences imposed:
Suspected complex fraud may also be referred by RMIT to the Australian Federal Police or the relevant local authority.
Document fraud can have long-term impacts on both your academic and professional record. For example, if you are studying a Law program at RMIT, a finding of fraudulent misconduct will be included on your Academic Conduct Report (link leads to RMIT Australia). This may result in the Victorian Legal Admissions Board rejecting your application to become an Australian lawyer or to be eligible to practice law in other states or countries.
Students and applicants need to provide documents for a range of application and administrative processes. This may include applications for:
Documents must be issued by authorities, such as government departments, medical professionals or educational institutions. RMIT uses these documents to verify that you are eligible for the particular benefit or outcome you are applying for.
RMIT staff will verify the authenticity of documents provided as part of the application assessment process, to check if they are true and genuine.
To ensure the documents you obtain are authentic, you should only source documents from reputable sources, such as:
When obtaining documentation, please check carefully that all information is true and correct. This includes the date the document was issued and translated.
Never engage with third parties offering fake documents or academic services.
We understand that life and study can be challenging sometimes. RMIT offers a range of free support services for all enrolled students to assist in navigating difficulties, whether with study, work or home. Please refer to Student support for more information about the services available and how to access them.
For more information about document fraud, or if you suspect any form of document fraud or wish to raise a concern, email student.conduct@rmit.edu.vn for confidential advice.