UNAM has warned students to be vigilant against fraudulent activities related to registration procedures.

Speaking to nbc News, UNAM’s Communication Officer, Simon Namesho, cautioned students not to fall prey to scams.

“The main one that I can share with you is impersonation, where someone comes and says, ‘Give me your money so that I can pay for you.’ That is very serious. So we advise students not to do that; don’t give anybody money to pay on your behalf. You can safely pay on an online platform, at our cashiers at the nearest campus, or through the bank by providing your banking details. Another scam involves senior students trying to take advantage of first-year students by saying, ‘I will group you all together; give me your documents so that I can register for you.’ That person might just want to be given money to make it seem like they are going to register on your behalf. Don’t do that! Make sure that when you are registering, you go to an official who is responsible for registration.”

Namesho further noted that the University has measures in place to address fraud and scams.

“Firstly, we have a division at the main campus in Windhoek, and at all our UNAM campuses, we have a security team and safety and security officers. I advise you to seek out those people immediately if you are involved in any incident of theft or fraud. Additionally, at the main campus and all our UNAM campuses, we have something called a 24-hour duty room, where you can go at any time of the day. If you are exposed to an event of theft, report it immediately so that we can activate the internal processes related to security measures!”

Additionally, Namesho urged first-year students to remain vigilant about the growing trend of pickpocketing.

He stated that they are particularly targeted when carrying laptops in their backpacks and advised them to avoid being overly comfortable carrying large amounts of cash, especially in shopping malls.