Lakhs demanded for paper, fake proof clips: NTA exposes Telegram racket ahead of NEET re-exam | India News

With only days left for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has exposed a large-scale scam network operating on Telegram. The app has now been temporarily banned by the Centre.Fraudsters are allegedly demanding anywhere between ₹14,000 to ₹25,000, and in some cases up to ₹10 lakh, by falsely claiming access to “leaked re-exam papers,” the agency said.The NTA has also warned students about fabricated “proof” videos and manipulated chats being circulated to trap anxious candidates and parents.Telegram scams target NEET aspirantsIn an official advisory, NTA said that multiple Telegram channels were actively running two coordinated fraud schemes.One is the money-for-paper scam. Scammers here were demanding ₹14,000- ₹25,000 from students and in extreme cases, asking up to ₹10 lakh, claiming they could provide “NEET re-exam papers”.The NTA clarified on X that no such paper existed outside the secure system and said that once money was transferred, it was lost. The agency also noted that personal data such as admit cards and WhatsApp numbers shared with these groups are later reused to target other students.ALSO READ | Blocking Telegram a bad idea: CBSE OSM whistleblower Sarthak Sidhant flags NTA's ‘incompetency’The second scam is faking “proofs”. NTA flagged a more sophisticated fraud method involving manipulated Telegram messages and videos.According to the agency, “on Telegram, whoever runs a channel can edit any old message AND change what's inside it, while the date on the message stays the same. So a message edited on the 4th can be made to look exactly like it was sent on the 1st.”Fraudsters use this feature to create fake timelines saying that question papers were “leaked” before exams. NTA explains how the scam worksNTA Director General Abhishek Singh described how the racket exploits loopholes on Telegram.He said, “The first one is very simple, the social media is flooded with such stories about telegram channels claiming to sell re-examination papers for NEET undergraduates in 2026. We have verified each and every such claim and what we have found is that they are all fake. They have been generated by using AI, by other tools and the modus operandi is that they price it as very low from few thousands to few lakh rupees.”He added, “Anyone claiming to sell you any paper is lying, is trying to scam you, is trying to fool you, is trying to exploit your vulnerability in taking the money.”ALSO READ | 'Band aid solution': Telegram curb ahead of NEET re-exam sparks mixed reactionsThe DG also said that Telegram’s message-editing system was being misused. “Telegram has a vulnerability in which it allows the admins of a telegram channel to edit a chat in the past date... the time stamp remains the same... people would be fooled by looking at that video and thinking that this question paper was shared earlier.”IIT Madras expert explains fraud modelThe NTA has also referenced explanations by IIT Madras director, V Kamakoti, who demonstrated how edited timestamps and reused messages could be used to fabricate “evidence” of paper leaks even when none existed.Government temporarily bans TelegramActing on NTA recommendations, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has issued directions under Section 69A of the IT Act.Key actions include:Temporary restriction of Telegram access in India until June 22.Blocking covers the NEET re-exam day (June 21) and immediate aftermath.Order to disable Telegram’s message-editing feature until June 30.Google has already delisted Telegram from the Play Store, while Apple is expected to follow. No messages are being received or sent -- the ban appears to be in effect.According to Singh, “In no ways anybody can have access to the question papers before 21st of June 2 pm. Anyone claiming to sell you any paper is lying, is trying to scam you, is trying to fool you, is trying to exploit your vulnerability in taking the money.”He also said that security arrangements include high-level safeguards involving multiple state and central agencies.Authorities have asked students and parents to report scams to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or cybercrime.gov.in and rely only on official updates from National Testing Agency.Telegram founder slams banTelegram founder Pavel Durov has criticised the temporary ban. The action taken affects a user base of over 150 million people in India and fails to meaningfully address the alleged exam-security breaches that triggered the restriction, he said.“India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India, not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps,” he wrote on X. Abhishek Singh told news agency ANI, “People can operate some channels by using VPN or they can operate from outside India. But the fact is that the lack of students who are accessing them, they will not be able to access that. Even though they can continue operating them channels, but if there is no clientele, the fraud will be prevented and the students will be protected from losing money and from wasting their time in chasing fake question papers.” The NEET exam is being reconducted on June 21 after its May session was cancelled over paper leaks. The CBI is now investigating the case.