The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued an urgent warning to candidates who missed the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), alerting them to a scam demanding payment for exam rescheduling.
According to JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, scammers are targeting unsuspecting candidates with false claims that the Board is offering a second chance to sit for the UTME in exchange for a fee of ₦15,700. These fraudsters have been directing victims to pay into a Sterling Bank account with the number 8520641017.
“This is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics,” Benjamin said in a statement released Thursday in Abuja. “The individuals behind this scheme have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.”
He emphasized that JAMB does not request payment for exam rescheduling and does not offer makeup tests for candidates who missed their exams for reasons unrelated to the Board.
The Board also revealed that the provided account details are fictitious and only serve the purpose of defrauding the public. JAMB has since reported the incident to the appropriate security agencies and is calling on the management of Sterling Bank to act swiftly in addressing the fraudulent use of its services.
Dr. Benjamin further explained that only candidates who were unable to sit for the exam due to biometric verification failures are being considered for a rescheduled test. These candidates are currently under review and, if eligible, will be invited to retake the examination at no cost.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. JAMB does not charge additional fees once registration is complete,” he added.
Candidates are advised to disregard any unofficial communication requesting payment and to rely solely on verified information from JAMB’s official channels.
