First-year university students and their parents are warned to be aware of fly-by-night accommodation and institutions of higher learning during this period.
The rush has started for parents and their first-year-university-student children to look for accommodation while busy enrolling at various institutions of learning with the hope of furthering their studies.
The Free State police are urging parents to be vigilant of bogus accommodation and institutions that are not registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
“We plead with parents or guardians not to deposit any cash into any account before they physically visit the school or personally pay a visit to such school or accommodation. This is to avoid being scammed as cases of parents who were defrauded were registered in previous years at police stations in and around the province.” said Lt Gen. Baile Motswenyane, provincial commissioner .
To confirm if the higher learning institution is registered and legitimate, please contact the Department of Higher Education and Training before you deposit any funds into any account as provided by any institution.
Motswenyane added that these fly-by-night institutions and people who defraud guardians or parents of their savings with non-existing student accommodations, must be reported. If anything seems suspicious, stay away.
