University students turn to ‘contract cheating’ amid housing crisis and lack of support

Australian university students are using online cheating services where they can buy bespoke assignments and ‘ghost writing’ that won’t be detected by software. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The housing crisis, cost-of-living pressures and language barriers are prompting university students to turn to “contract cheating”, where bespoke essays and assignments can be bought online, experts say.

Cheating websites advertise heavily on social media, target Australian students and promise “ghost writing” work that will not be picked up by anti-plagiarism software.