You paid an education consultancy — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars — and now they are not answering calls, the office is empty, or the WhatsApp number is suddenly disconnected. This is one of the most devastating experiences an international student can face, and it happens more often than government statistics reflect.
Here is a step-by-step action plan.
Step 1: Document Everything Immediately
Before you do anything else, gather and secure copies of:
- All receipts, bank transfers, or payment records
- The service agreement or contract you signed (if any)
- All email and WhatsApp correspondence
- The offer letter, documents, or applications the consultancy provided
- Their business name, address, ABN/company registration number (if known)
- Any contact names (director, counsellor, etc.)
Take screenshots of everything. Store copies in cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud) where they cannot be lost.
Step 2: Attempt Contact Through All Channels
Before assuming the worst, try:
- Their listed phone number(s)
- All email addresses you have
- Their official website contact form
- Their social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Any personal LinkedIn profiles of staff you dealt with
- Visit the physical address if it is accessible to you
Document every attempt with dates and times. This documentation matters if you pursue a legal claim.
Step 3: Contact Your Bank or Card Provider
If you paid by credit card, debit card, or a service like PayPal, you may have chargeback rights. Contact your bank immediately and explain the situation:
- You paid for a service that was not delivered
- The business has become unreachable
- You believe you have been defrauded
Time matters here — most card networks have chargeback timeframes of 60–120 days from the transaction date. Act quickly.
If you paid by bank transfer (the most common method scam consultancies prefer), recovery is harder but not impossible — especially if the transfer was to a domestic account.
Step 4: Report to the Relevant Authority
Australia:
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA): if the consultancy was providing migration advice, report at mara.gov.au
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): report at accc.gov.au/scams
- Tuition Protection Service (TPS): if money was paid for tuition, report at tps.gov.au
- Your state Fair Trading office (NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, etc.)
United Kingdom:
- Action Fraud: actionfraud.police.uk (national fraud reporting centre)
- Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC): if they were providing immigration advice, report at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
- Trading Standards through your local council
Canada:
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: antifraudcentre.ca
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) can be reported to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC): college-ic.ca
- Local police non-emergency line for fraud reports
Warning: Many victims delay reporting because they are embarrassed or afraid the police will not help. Report regardless — even if the business is overseas, authorities compile these reports and they build evidence for larger investigations that result in prosecutions.
Step 5: Check If They Are Registered — And Report If Not
Check whether the consultancy held the registration they were legally required to have:
- Australia migration advice: OMARA registration at mara.gov.au
- UK immigration advice: OISC registration at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
- Canada immigration consulting: CICC registration at college-ic.ca
If they were providing regulated services without registration, this strengthens your fraud case and gives regulators more powers to act.
Step 6: Contact the University or Institution Directly
If the consultancy submitted (or claimed to submit) any applications on your behalf, contact those institutions directly. Explain you were a victim of a fraudulent consultancy and ask whether:
- Any application was submitted in your name
- Any fees were paid to the institution on your behalf
- The institution can assist with your application going forward
Many universities have student welfare teams who have dealt with consultancy fraud cases before and can help you rebuild your application.
Step 7: Seek Legal Advice
If the amounts involved are significant (generally over AUD $5,000 / GBP £3,000 / CAD $5,000), consider consulting a lawyer who specialises in consumer fraud or contract law. Many offer free initial consultations.
In Australia, the Small Claims Tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, etc.) can hear consumer disputes up to $40,000–$100,000 without requiring a lawyer.
How to Avoid This in the Future
- Never pay large upfront fees before services are delivered
- Use a consultancy with verifiable reviews on ConsultancyCheck and Google
- Insist on a written service agreement that specifies what you will receive and when
- Pay by credit card where possible — chargeback protection is your safety net
- Verify the consultancy's registration with the relevant authority before engaging
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my money back if an education consultancy disappears?
If you paid by credit card, contact your bank immediately and request a chargeback — you generally have 60–120 days from the transaction. Bank transfers are harder to recover, but reporting to your bank, consumer authorities, and local police is essential. Some victims recover funds through small claims court processes if the business was registered domestically.
Where do I report an education consultancy scam in Australia?
Report to the ACCC at accc.gov.au/scams, the OMARA (if they provided migration advice) at mara.gov.au, the Tuition Protection Service at tps.gov.au, and your state's fair trading body (NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, etc.). Also file a report with your local police — this creates an official fraud record.
My consultancy took my money and now I am out of time for my course intake. What can I do?
Contact the institution directly and explain you were a fraud victim. Many universities will defer your application to the next intake or expedite processing given the circumstances. Also contact your country's embassy, as some have student welfare units that can assist citizens who have been defrauded while pursuing overseas education.
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