Students and their parents should be vigilant if they receive offers of help in checking national college entrance exam scores early or assistance in applying for scholarships as these could be scams, Beijing police have warned.
Soon after the exam – also known as gaokao – held from June 7 to 10, the Beijing Public Security Bureau released an online anti-fraud handbook summarising several common test-related tricks.
This year’s exam scores are expected to be available from the end of June. But police said that based on previous cases, some candidates and their parents are eager to learn their scores in advance, leading them to trust false promises of early access to the results.
Some scammers were found to have sent web links through text messages or WeChat groups to students and their families.
After clicking on the links, users would be required to enter their identity card and examination registration numbers, on top of paying some fees, police said.
“Such fraud not only resulted in financial losses but also led to the leakage of personal data,” they said, stressing that exam scores can only be checked on an official website designated by the Education Ministry.
The handbook also outlined another scam, in which individuals took advantage of the financial difficulties faced by some students’ families and their need for scholarships to help pay for their college tuition.
The scammers impersonated education department or university staff members, claiming that they could help students apply for scholarships but asked them to first pay some registration fees.
Applying for a scholarship does not involve payment of any additional fees, the police said, “so students in need must be vigilant”.“After being admitted to a university, it’s important to promptly verify the scholarship application information with the school or education department via their official channels,” they said.Over the past week, public security bureaus, education authorities and prosecuting organs in many provinces, including Hebei, Hubei, Jiangxi and Sichuan, have issued similar anti-scam tips to help students protect themselves from being cheated. — China Daily/ANN
