Higher Education Ministry files cyber crime complaint against alleged cheating website

AMMAN — The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced that it has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Unit (CCU) following the alleged emergence of a website offering to take exams on behalf of students. 

“We have contacted the CCU, which is affiliated with the Public Security Directorate, after learning that a website was offering to take university exams on students’ behalf,” said Muhannad Khatib, the ministry’s spokesperson.

The webpage, Khatib told The Jordan Times, claimed that “a group of people would be able to enter university campuses to sit for exams” for students who wanted the service.

“We want to know who is behind this webpage so that we can refer them to the criminal prosecutor for further legal action and prevent this person from exploiting our students,” Khatib stressed.

“Such practices are unacceptable because it works against the students’ best interests and damages the reputation of the education sector in Jordan,” the ministry official said.

 “The ministry is applying special surveillance methods over what is published on social media platforms, including such advertisements,” he added, noting that in the case of such an advertisement, the ministry “will fight it”.

Khatib urged students to report similar links or advertisements so “that we can legally prosecute them”.

In December 2020, university figures told The Jordan Times that “cheating is widespread amongst school, university and community college students”.

The university professionals claimed that there were many cases of students having others take exams on their behalf, and “cheating groups” on WhatsApp, where students ask others for help on certain questions who have the ability to look up answers online.

The total estimated number of students that are enrolled in government and non-governmental educational institutes was around 236,000 in 2021, including 28,000 who are foreign nationals, according to the ministry’s website.

There are 10 public universities in the Kingdom, along with 17 private universities, 51 community colleges and the World Islamic Sciences and Education University.