With the Delhi University (DU) admission season in full swing, students are occupied filling out preference sheets. In between the rush and uncertainty of whether their CUET scores will make the cut and which colleges and courses to target, some aspirants are falling prey to scammers’ calls guaranteeing admission to the varsity.
Several students spoke to us stating they have received phone calls from unknown individuals claiming to be DU representatives. Posing as admission counsellors, these callers are promising seats in reputed colleges or offering to “guarantee admission in exchange for money”. Among those who received one such call is Tanya Rathi, an aspirant from Ghaziabad, adding, “My father received a call from someone saying ‘I’m from DU’. They said they help students with counselling and assured us that they would fill my preference sheet in a way that would ensure I get the college I wanted. In return, they quoted him ₹50,000.”
Another aspirant, Rehan Chandra from Jaipur (Rajasthan) shares, “The desperation to get into one’s dream college is such that once you hear the person take the name of a top college saying they can help get you admission there, one easily falls for it in that instance… When I received the phone, the caller asked me which college I wanted. When I said I want to get admission in SRCC but my CUET score of 715 might not be enough, the person on the other end of the phone claimed management quota seats were available and demanded ₹1 lakh to guarantee that I could get one.”
“The callers sound convincing because they are well informed. They know the admission process inside out,” adds Riya, another Delhi-based aspirant, adding, “The scammers speak confidently about colleges across North Campus and South Campus, as well as discuss in depth about the cut-offs and preference sheet filling. It feels like you are talking to a genuine counsellor. But the minute I was asked to pay ₹60,000 for assistance with paperwork and a promise of securing a preferred college, I knew something was fishy so disconnected the call immediately.”
Addressing to the concern of such unsolicited call, Haneet Gandhi, dean of admissions at DU, informs, “The university has repeatedly maintained that admissions are conducted only and only through the official CSAS portal. Any student receiving any such calls, should not even think twice and report it to the concerned authorities immediately.”
Where to report?
If you get such a suspecting call, you could report it at: www.sancharsaathi.gov.in / www.cybercrime.gov.in
Or, call:
Cyber Crime Helpline Number: 1930, 011-20892633, 9319301930
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