NEET UG 2026 cyber fraud: A major cyber fraud attempt targeting NEET UG 2026 candidates has been foiled by the Cyber Crime Branch of Ahmedabad City Police in coordination with the National Testing Agency (NTA), leading to the arrest of a 19-year-old student from Bihar who allegedly tried to divert fee refund amounts from candidates’ accounts into his own bank accounts.According to an official press note issued by Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police, the accused, identified as Navinkumar Shankar Prasad Yadav, a B.Sc. student from Gaya district in Bihar, was apprehended following a detailed investigation involving technical analysis, bank account tracking, human intelligence inputs, and digital evidence shared by NTA’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).Police said the case was registered after it emerged that the accused had allegedly created a false identity using the credentials of a NEET candidate and illegally accessed the NEET UG 2026 portal without the student’s knowledge or consent. Investigators found that he attempted to alter bank account details linked to fee refunds so that the money would be transferred to accounts under his control.Authorities have booked the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act for cheating, criminal breach of trust, unauthorized access, and cyber fraud.Around 150 vulnerable accounts identified due to weak passwordsThe investigation revealed that the accused allegedly targeted nearly 350 NEET UG candidate accounts. According to police, around 150 of these accounts were particularly vulnerable because candidates had used weak or easily guessable passwords.Officials said the accused exploited these weak credentials to gain unauthorized access to student accounts. After logging into the portal, he allegedly identified candidates who were eligible for fee refunds and then replaced their registered bank account details with his own in an attempt to divert the refund amounts.The press note indicates that the fraud was part of a planned operation in which stolen login credentials were used to access candidate accounts and manipulate refund information. Police believe the accused acted with deliberate intent to obtain financial gains by exploiting weaknesses in account security.Notably, authorities clarified that the accused targeted approximately 350 accounts but was able to access around 150 accounts where password protection was weak, highlighting the cybersecurity risks associated with poor password practices.NTA security systems played key role in detecting fraudA crucial breakthrough in the investigation came from the security mechanisms built into the NEET portal. According to the press note, NTA’s Chief Information Security Officer immediately shared precise digital footprint data generated through the portal’s security features with Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police after detecting suspicious activity.The technical evidence enabled investigators to trace the source of the unauthorized access attempts, identify the accused’s location, and ultimately apprehend him in Bihar.Senior police officials stated that the case demonstrates the growing importance of cybersecurity in national-level examinations. While concerns around paper leaks often dominate public discussions, authorities noted that cyber fraud targeting examination portals poses an equally serious threat to candidates.Following the incident, police have urged students and parents to use strong passwords containing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Candidates have also been advised against using common passwords such as names, mobile numbers, dates of birth, or combinations like “123456”.Authorities further warned students never to share passwords, OTPs, or account credentials with anyone and to use only official NTA websites for NEET-related services, including fee refunds and examination updates.The successful coordination between Gujarat Police and NTA prevented what could have become a large-scale refund fraud affecting hundreds of NEET aspirants, underscoring the critical role of proactive cybersecurity measures in safeguarding examination systems.
