The UW-Oshkosh Information Technology department is warning students of a “Homework Helper Scam” after the Better Business Bureau reported a rise in fake tutors extorting college students.
According to Chief Information Officer Mark Clements, scammers act like they are providing homework or tutoring services and continually demand payment by threatening to report the student to the Dean of Students for violating the school’s academic integrity rules.
Clements said in an email to students Feb. 4 that it is normal that students may struggle in a class and there are ways that they can receive help from the university.
“Shortcuts may feel tempting in the moment, but they undermine your learning and can carry serious consequences,” he said. “The good news: UWO offers free, legitimate academic support to help you succeed the right way. The Center for Academic Resources (CAR) provides one-to-one and small group tutoring, as well as Supplemental Instruction (SI) for many challenging courses.”
Hiring someone to complete a student’s assignments is considered cheating according to university policies but getting assistance from a UWO tutor to help someone understand the course material is allowed.
If a student wants to get help from CAR, they need to sign up on the UWO Navigate page. According to the university’s website, tutoring is available for many 100 and 200-level courses and a list of the 14 different SI sessions can be found at www.uwosh.edu/car/si/. There is also a special drop-in math tutoring option for Math 104 through Math 273 that is located in Swart Hall in room 118 starting the second week of the semester.
The Better Business Bureau recommends that if a student wants to hire a tutor themselves, ask family members and professors for advice before providing payment. They also recommend asking the individual tutor or service for at least three references to determine if they actually have the experience that they claim and suggest deciding on tutoring rates up front.
Clements said he recommends that students utilize the support they have on campus rather than letting a potential scam put someone’s academic integrity at risk.
“Using tutoring and SI helps you better understand course material, perform more confidently on exams and build problem-solving skills that will benefit you long after your classes are over,” he said. “If something feels off about an online ‘homework help’ service, trust your instincts and reach out for help from trusted campus resources instead.”
