Beware! HEC warns about degree attestation fraud
Technology
Hackers try to steal personal information through fake degree attestation service
(Web Desk) - A new method of online fraud has emerged in Pakistan, where hackers attempt to obtain personal information by offering citizens the verification of educational degrees.
Typically, Pakistani citizens need to get their degrees officially verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the regulatory body overseeing higher education.
However, in light of complaints about hacking of WhatsApp accounts and theft of users' personal information under the guise of degree verification, the HEC has issued a public alert.
The public is warned that some unknown individuals are making WhatsApp calls to citizens, deceiving them into verifying their degrees and then obtaining their personal information.
A spokesperson for the HEC has stated that these calls are a new form of cyber fraud, and citizens should never provide their personal information because their institution never calls citizens for document verification.
