The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has raised the alarm over the circulation of fraudulent, misleading, and criminal messages, targeting candidates registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Wednesday, said the messages are being disseminated by suspected frausters with the intent of defrauding unsuspecting UTME candidates.
According to the Board, the fraudsters are exploiting a combination of the UTME short code, 8863, and JAMB’s official sort code, 55019, to create deceptive codes that mimic the Board’s legitimate messaging system.
It noted that using this fraudulent setup, the scammers are sending false messages to candidates, alleging irregularities in their registration details and directing them to contact certain individuals for assistance.
JAMB categorically stated that these messages are not from the Board, but are calculated attempts by fraudsters to exploit the examination period and extort unsuspecting candidates.
The Board has reported the matter to the appropriate security agencies, who are already working to trace and apprehend those behind the scam.
The statement strongly advised candidates to disregard any unsolicited messages, especially those requesting personal details or suggesting that issues exist with their JAMB records.
It added that these are typical tactics employed by fraudsters seeking to manipulate and defraud candidates.
“The public is also urged to remain vigilant and verify any information purportedly coming from JAMB. Messages that appear suspicious or are not disseminated through JAMB’s official communication channels should be treated as fraudulent and reported immediately,” the Board stated.
