‘I’m genuinely freaking out’: Cruel VTAC scam texts target VCE students on eve of English exam

A cruel VTAC scam has targeted Year 12 VCE students on the eve of the English exam.

A cruel VTAC scam has targeted Year 12 VCE students on the eve of the English exam. Picture: Supplied

A scam on the eve of the 2024 VCE exam period has left one student “freaking out”

after an anonymous caller said they were not able to sit exams due to an “AI-generated application”.

Cyber experts are calling for other students to be vigilant of scammers.

The student, who posted online about the alarming incident, is due to sit the VCE English exam on Tuesday at 9am, kicking off two weeks of written exams. They were shocked to receive the automated message purporting to be from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). “I literally have no idea of what to do, or if it is even real, and I’m genuinely panicking,” the student wrote. “I’m genuinely freaking out.”

The automated message mentioned the student’s name and gave them another number to call.

VTAC is the government body responsible for tertiary admissions and does not have any oversight over the running of exams. The responsible authority is the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), not VTAC.

A VTAC spokesman said they were “aware of an isolated report that a student has received a scam call purporting to be from VTAC, advising that a student is not eligible to sit VCE exams. VTAC does not determine eligibility for examination sittings, and does not contact VCE students directly in relation to exams”.

The scam has targeted students the day before the VCE English exam. Picture: Supplied

The scam prompted a warning from cyber safety expert Susan McLean, saying students needed to be vigilant about these types of calls.

“99 per cent of incidents like this are scams,” Ms McLean said.

“We need to train people to think of scams first, legitimate second, not the other way around.

“Students need to be reassured they’re not going to be banned from sitting an exam via an email or text message and alert your school if you receive a call of this nature.”

The VCAA told the Herald Sun it is aware of reports of an automated call, posing as VTAC and advising one student that they are ineligible to sit exams.

The VCAA is communicating with schools and has advised students to report any instances of these calls to their schools immediately.

The VCAA has confirmed with schools that all students enrolled in a VCE Unit 3 – 4 subject are eligible to sit exams.

The VCAA has confirmed with schools that all students enrolled in a VCE Unit 3 – 4 subject are eligible to sit exams. Picture: iStock

VTAC chief executive officer Teresa Tjia wished VCE students well for their exams. “To VCE students who are now sitting their exams, we wish you every success. Stay focused on your studies and contact VTAC or your school if you have any concerns about messages purporting to be from VTAC,” she said.

Students who have any concerns about the authenticity of a message purporting to be from VTAC are encouraged to call the office directly on [phone].

The student who received the scam call received support from other students online, and was quickly reassured that the call was not real. “You could also ask your school and confirm this with you, it will be okay, sit the exams, and take care of urself,” said one.

“VTAC does not look at your eligibility to sit an exam based on your application,” said another.

Another said scammers “can get your name, depending who the phone number is listed under and stuff and like yeah it prob got leaked … you’re fine to sit your exam”.

And another: “100% a scam, or someone you know pulling a prank.”

It comes as NSW students blasted the NSW Education Standards Authority over the use of artificial intelligence used to generate one of the stimuli in an English exam. Students warned not to prepare for exams using AI accused the authority setting the test of being “hypocritical”.