National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh on Tuesday, 16 June issued a sharp warning to NEET-UG 2026 aspirants and their parents against organised social media rackets on Telegram that are falsely claiming to sell leaked question papers ahead of the June 21 re-examination. The NTA chief assured candidates that no leaked paper exists and that any money transferred to these channels is unrecoverable.

The Scam Rackets Targeting NEET Aspirants

According to Abhishek Singh, scammers on Telegram were running two distinct rackets. The first involved channels demanding anywhere between ₹14,000 and ₹25,000 — and in some cases as much as ₹10 lakh — in exchange for a supposed copy of the re-exam question paper. 'There is no leaked paper for the re-exam. The money is gone the moment you transfer it,' Singh said in a video posted on NTA's official X handle.

The second racket exploited a Telegram platform feature that allows channel administrators to edit the content of old messages while the original timestamp remains unchanged. This enabled scammers to fabricate 'proof' videos making it appear they had advance access to question papers days before an exam.

How the Timestamp Manipulation Works

Singh explained the mechanics of the deception with a documented example. 'On May 3, we found a Telegram channel claiming they had access to the main question paper on May 1, showing videos of a chat in which the actual question paper was shown. Upon investigation, we found that the video was altered by using the actual question paper of a student in Kashmir's Anantnag,' he said.

In plain terms: a message edited on the 4th of a month can be made to appear as though it was originally sent on the 1st, because the platform does not update the display timestamp on edited posts. The NTA DG cautioned that the same technique is likely to be deployed again after the June 21 re-test.

Why Telegram Was Temporarily Suspended

Singh confirmed that the temporary suspension of the Telegram application until June 22 was a deliberate measure to curb the spread of misleading claims and misinformation targeting exam candidates. He urged students not to forward suspicious content, not to pay anyone, and to report scams to the National Cyber-Crime Helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.

Indian Air Force Assisting NTA Logistics

Addressing the compressed timeline, Singh disclosed that the Indian Air Force is assisting the NTA with logistics to ensure question papers are transported securely and swiftly. 'Normally, it takes around 5 months to conduct this examination. This time, we are doing it within 37 days,' he said, noting that the original May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled to protect the integrity of the process and the rights of hard-working students.

NTA's Message to Candidates

The NTA chief urged aspirants to trust only the official website nta.ac.in and verified NTA social media handles for information. 'Your hard work is what will get you through this exam. Not a Telegram channel. We're on your side,' Singh said. He also asked students to alert friends who might be anxious enough to be tempted by fraudulent offers.