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Wellington, June 27, 2018
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) welcomes the Auckland High Court’s approval of settlements under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act in the case of the alleged cheating service provider Assignment4U.
This settlement follows a five-year investigation by the New Zealand Police and NZQA into allegations about an Auckland based assignment writing service for students attending New Zealand universities and other tertiary education organisations (TEOs).
Complex investigation
The joint investigation into the activities of Assignment4U and its owners was very complex due to the large volume of data and number of parties involved. NZQA would like to acknowledge the work and dedication of its staff, the New Zealand Police and the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s Office, in bringing a successful resolution to this case.
When these concerns first came to our attention, NZQA and Universities New Zealand worked together to strengthen effective practice for preventing and detecting academic fraud across the tertiary education sector. This guidance and advice can be found here on our website.
Integrated Quality Assurance
We are confident that TEOs have the relevant guidelines and advice to manage these situations, should they arise. Our integrated quality assurance system includes monitoring of assessment. If we identify fraudulent assessment activities at TEOs, we will take appropriate action.
NZQA’s role is to ensure quality education is delivered to students and that New Zealand qualifications are robust, credible, and internationally recognised. NZQA will always take appropriate action in situations like this to protect the integrity of New Zealand’s qualifications.
Students, providers and the public can raise any concerns regarding academic fraud here.
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