JnU students targeted in scholarship scam using ‘leaked’ personal data

Several students of Jagannath University (JnU) have reportedly fallen victims to a scam in which cybercriminals used their personal information to offer fake scholarships and steal money from mobile banking accounts.

According to the victims, the fraudsters appeared to have access to specific details—such as names, departments, and academic years—which they used to convince students over phone calls that they had been selected for merit-based scholarships.

After gaining trust, they would ask for bank account numbers and one-time passwords (OTP), allowing them to hack into the students' mobile banking accounts and withdraw funds.

Ayub Ali, one of the victims, said, "A group of hackers called me, verified my identity, and told me I had received a 'merit scholarship'. They asked for my bank account number, and I shared it out of carelessness. Later, I found all Tk 6,000 in my account was gone."

Azizul Hakim Akash, a student of the mass communication and journalism department, said he also received a similar call.

"They said my scholarship had been approved by Islami Bank and asked for my account number. I got suspicious and did not share it. Later, I saw on Facebook that another student had lost Tk 4,000 to the same scam."

The incidents have sparked concern among students, who suspect that their data might have been "leaked" from university forms, internal databases, or online applications.

However, the university authorities are yet to confirm any such breach.

Prof Md Nasir Uddin, director of JnU's ICT Cell, told The Daily Star he was unaware of the matter and therefore could not comment at the moment.

He said he would look into the matter and provide information later.

JnU Vice Chancellor Prof Rezaul Karim termed the incidents "very alarming".

He said, "Certain ill-intentioned groups are deceiving students and stealing money from them. Students must remain cautious. We will investigate whether any data was stolen from the university website."