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

A significant scam network operating on the messaging platform Telegram has been exposed by India's National Testing Agency (NTA) just days before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The agency has alerted students and parents to fraudulent schemes aiming to extort money by falsely promising access to leaked exam papers.

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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.

Fraudsters are reportedly demanding sums ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹25,000, and in some extreme cases, up to ₹10 lakh, by claiming they can provide the NEET re-exam papers. The NTA has emphasized that no such leaked papers exist outside the secure examination system and that any money transferred to these scammers is lost. The agency also warned that personal information, such as admit cards and phone numbers, shared with these groups can be exploited to target other students.

The NTA highlighted a sophisticated method used by scammers involving the manipulation of Telegram's message-editing features. This allows fraudsters to alter past messages while maintaining their original timestamps, creating fake evidence that papers were leaked before the exam. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh explained that these claims are fabricated, often generated using AI or other tools, and are designed to exploit the vulnerability of anxious candidates and their families.

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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.

In response to the scam, the Centre has temporarily banned Telegram. The NTA has issued an official advisory urging students to be wary of such fraudulent claims and to protect their personal information. The agency stressed that anyone claiming to sell exam papers is attempting to deceive and exploit students.

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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