BEIJING -- The Ministry of Education released a notice on Thursday warning about college admission scams.

The ministry suggests that college candidates and their parents visit the official website or WeChat account of the MOE to verify the authenticity of a qualified university to avoid being swindled by "fake universities," according to the notice.

It said that all colleges and universities registered by the MOE have an exclusive code that can be looked up in the college application systems.

It urged people to use common sense, cautioning against frauds in which "universities" claim candidates can pay to be admitted regardless of their scores.