Rhodes has discovered at least two phishing instances where letters have been sent to parents informing them of system problems and giving them details of a different bank account number with instructions to pay the amounts outstanding into this new account.
The matter has been reported to the police but the fraudsters have not yet been apprehended.
The letters, which include a “Rhodes University student-fees” dated stamp, also include the Rhodes logo and a signature of a “Mrs E Brunette from the Finance Division”. Both note the students’ correct names and student numbers, as well as a reference to the degrees the students are completing.
The letters say, “According to the Rhodes University records, you are the person responsible for the fees of the above-mentioned student. You have signed the debit order payment form from us and we’ve been debiting the agreed amount since February this year.
“We have had intermittent problems with our FNB account and as a result we have changed our account details. As of yet we haven’t added your account details to our new account that we have created since we are still upgrading our system’s account.
“Our systems upgrades are due to completion by the end of October. We ask you to please deposit the agreed amount (that we usually debit) on our new account details that we have created on 10 September 2010.”
The Registrar Finance and Operations, Mr Ross Marriner, has confirmed that the University has not changed its bank account details and has appealed to the Rhodes community, students and parents to be on the look-out and to report any suspicious letter to the Finance Division as soon as it comes to their attention.