UTME: JAMB uncovers mass cyber fraud in registration

Hundreds of prospective UTME candidates have fallen victims of illegal registration as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has indicted several of its accredited registration centres across the country allegedly involved in registration cyber fraud for financial gains.

Is-haq Oloyede, the Boards registrar who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday said these centres commit this crime by illegally extending its Virtual Private Network (VPN) to remote areas . In addition, he said, during accreditation, authorities in the centres provided fictitious National Identification Number (NIN)  and fictitious registration personnel to JAMB.

Oloyede said it deployed its staff to these centres where the fraud was uncovered from several centres especially in remote areas. But some of the owners have denied involvement.

He noted that the fate of these candidates hangs in balance as they may not partake in the Examination and they risk being defrauded in future because their personal information have been obtained by the centres.

Atleast 38 centres were indicted and over 45 computers were confiscated at the boards headquarters in Bwari. Some owners of the centres were interrogated by the jamb registrar and subsequently handed over to police for further investigation.

Oloyede therefore urged the general public to get accurate information on JAMB from its offices nationwide to avoid falling prey to fraudsters.