The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning regarding fraudulent activities targeting candidates registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The board has detected the circulation of false, misleading, and potentially criminal messages aimed at defrauding unsuspecting candidates. These messages are being disseminated by individuals suspected of fraudulent intent, prompting JAMB to take decisive action to protect candidates and maintain the integrity of the examination process.

According to a statement released by JAMB spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, these fraudsters are exploiting a combination of the numerical variant of UTME, '8863,' and JAMB’s official sort code, '55019.' By merging these elements, they have created a deceptive sort code that closely mimics JAMB’s official messaging system. This allows them to send misleading messages to candidates, falsely claiming to have detected manipulations in their JAMB details. These messages often urge candidates to contact specific individuals who purportedly can assist in resolving these fabricated issues.

JAMB has explicitly stated that these messages are not from the board. The agency has already notified security agencies, who are actively working to track down the perpetrators behind this scam. Dr. Benjamin emphasized that this is a common tactic used by fraudsters to exploit the examination period and deceive innocent candidates. He strongly advised candidates to ignore such messages and to remain vigilant.

The board urges the public to critically assess any messages they receive, especially those that do not align with JAMB’s official communication channels or use suspicious language or instructions. Any communication that seems questionable should be treated as fraudulent.

In a related development, JAMB Registrar Professor Is-haq Oloyede revealed that the board has launched a decoy website aimed at identifying candidates who attempted to pay for leaked examination questions or to upgrade their UTME scores. Through this initiative, JAMB has identified 180 candidates who will face sanctions, including the withholding of their results or prosecution in a court of law.

The UTME is a crucial examination for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. JAMB organizes the examination and collaborates with these institutions to grant admissions to qualified candidates. For the 2025 exercise, over two million candidates have registered. The Computer-Based UTME is scheduled to take place from April 25 to May 5.

In the previous year, over 1.9 million candidates sat for the UTME, with a significant 76% scoring below 200 out of a possible 400. This underscores the importance of preparing adequately for the examination and avoiding any fraudulent schemes that promise to improve scores through illegitimate means.

JAMB’s proactive measures, including alerting candidates and launching decoy websites, reflect its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the UTME and protecting candidates from fraudulent activities. Candidates are advised to stay informed through official JAMB channels and to report any suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.

Legit.ng also reported that JAMB revealed that only 6 out of 148 A-Level results submitted to Bayero University Kano (BUK) for Direct Entry were genuine, 142 were fraudulent. The board said it used the Nigeria Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (NIPEDS) to detect the use of forged certificates, including those from foreign institutions, submitted by Direct Entry applicants.

JAMB thereby noted that individuals involved in the forgery have been handed over to law enforcement agencies.

JAMB disclosed this in an official statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Sunday morning, April 13, 2025. According to JAMB, over 200,000 candidates registered for the Mock UTME conducted across Nigeria on Thursday, April 10.