The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered and is set to sanction 180 candidates who tried to cheat during the 2025 UTME mock exam using fake websites.
Speaking on Thursday while monitoring the mock UTME across Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that these candidates were caught through a clever trap set up by the Board. The trap targeted rogue websites that promise students leaked questions in exchange for money.
Surprisingly, some of the students reportedly paid as much as ₦30,000 to these fraudulent sites, hoping for an unfair advantage in the exams. Unbeknownst to them, the fake website was a decoy created by JAMB itself to catch dishonest candidates in the act.
“We need to let the students know that the best way to pass the examination, UTME in particular, is to study. We are aware of some rogue websites asking people to come and pay so that they can help. It cannot work. We have also opened our own rogue website. And as of this morning, about 180 students have paid,” Oloyede said.
According to him, these students will face strict penalties for attempting to compromise the integrity of the examination. Their UTME and Direct Entry (DE) results will be cancelled.
The 2025 mock UTME, which took place on Thursday, saw over 211,000 candidates participate out of the 2 million registered for the main exam. Oloyede confirmed that the mock results will be released on Friday.
“They will have the results tomorrow. The results will be ready. Those who finished, we are working now on their results, but we want to compare with the second batch, the third batch, and so on. And see that everything is working well,” he stated.
He emphasized that the mock exam isn’t just for practice—it’s a strategic move to test JAMB’s preparedness and tighten security ahead of the main examination, which begins on April 25.
“As students are getting wiser, we prepare ourselves ahead of them, especially those who want to cheat. We are doing certain things to ensure that cheating is eliminated,” he said.
Oloyede also warned students to avoid registering through third parties or giving out their registration details, stressing that JAMB registers each candidate individually to prevent fraud.
He expressed concern over schools and individuals that boast about their students’ high scores—sometimes based on false data—saying such practices only encourage malpractice.
“Some of them are paying N30,000 for something that will never work. And to some, when I look at those who have paid to us this money, I smile,” he said.
As the 2025 UTME draws near, JAMB is urging all candidates to steer clear of shortcuts and focus on genuine preparation.
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