The Chinese government has warned the public to be alert to the
sale of fake college entrance exam papers through the Internet and
mobile phones after a string of fraud cases were cracked.
In a joint announcement, the Ministry of Education and the
Ministry of Public Security said that questions and answers for
this year's college entrance exams, which fall on June 7th and 8th
this year, are national secrets before they are authorized to be
issued. They are now under the strict control of relevant
government departments.
Examinees and their parents should keep alert to avoid being
cheated out of their money, according to the announcement.
Stealing, divulging and selling college entrance exam questions
and answers, selling false college entrance exam papers and
disturbing the exams in any way will all be severely punished, the
announcement said.
Police in east China's Fujian Province on May 31 arrested three
people responsible for selling fake papers on-line and confiscated
their bank deposit books, credit cards and computers.
According to their confessions, they have been spreading false
information via the Internet since April, saying that they have
this year's college entrance exam papers. They pretended to be
officials of education departments receiving calls and selling exam
papers at 1,000 yuan a subject.
Policemen in east China's Shandong Province also arrested a
criminal suspect who spread false information via the Internet
saying that he could send college entrance exam answers just 45
minutes after the exam started. The case is under further
investigation.
Sources from the Ministry of Education said all the people who
participated in designing the college entrance exam questions have
signed a written pledge, vowing never to divulge what they knew.
Breaking the contract can lead to three to seven years
imprisonment.
(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2006)
