- The NEET paper leak affected over 22 lakh students, forcing a re-exam on June 21
- Government banned Telegram from June 16 to 22 due to its link with exam paper leaks
- Fraudsters used Telegram channels to sell fake papers, demanding up to Rs 1 lakh
The NEET paper leak directly impacted more than 22 lakh students, who had to take the exam again. Before the re-NEET paper on June 21, the government banned Telegram, where most claims of paper leaks are made.
Telegram has been linked to several paper leak cases. It is alleged that some people uploaded samples of the paper on some Telegram channels before the exam and made money from anxious students.
'Athenian Tech' has now released a 'Threat Intelligence Report' that contains a complete analysis of the exam paper leak and fraud networks operating on Telegram and the dark web.
The Game On Telegram
The report states that even before the repeat NEET paper, the government found out that through channels like PAPER LEAKED NEET on Telegram, fake or leaked papers were being sold to students for huge sums of money.
Following this, on June 16, 2026, the government used its powers under Section 69A of the IT Act to impose a temporary ban on the Telegram app across the country till June 22. The government said that just shutting down specific channels was not enough, because fraudsters immediately create new groups and bots.
Telegram challenged this ban in the Delhi High Court, which upheld the government's decision after looking at the evidence. The government even called Telegram a "new dark web".
How Does The Entire Network Work?
The 'Threat Intelligence Report' explains how the entire fraud network operates. It works in three steps.
First, public channels are created on Telegram using exam-related names, so that students or aspirants join them.
The second step is to win the trust of students. For this, they are given sample papers, good notes and study material.
The third and final step is to create fear and a sense of urgency among students. Just before the paper, it is claimed that most questions will be asked from the sample paper that "we have".
After this, direct demands for money begin.
At times, as much as Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh is demanded for the paper.
High Demand For Board Exams Papers Too
The report states that for board exams too, rates on Telegram range from Rs 500 to Rs 15,000. After payment, students are added to a private group and the questions are shared there. Even if the question papers are not genuine, students easily believe it due to panic and fear and end up becoming victims of fraud.
These Exams Were Also Targeted
UPSC CSE (Civil Services Examination)
SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission)
NDA (National Defence Academy)
IBPS PO (Banking Exam)
SSLC (Karnataka and other state boards)
The Business On The Dark Web
Apart from Telegram, similar activities were found on the "dark world" - the dark web. Here, a marketplace called India Exam Papers Hub was found, where papers for major exams such as UPSC, SSC CGL, NDA and IBPS were being sold for $60 to $500.
Payments here were accepted only in Bitcoin. The report calls this a major threat, because it destroys the sanctity and credibility of examinations.
Steps Taken By Government
In June 2026, Bihar Police warned students not to fall for Telegram scams.
Additionally, strict security measures including biometrics, facial recognition and CCTV were used in the re-NEET exam held on June 21.
After TET exam papers were found during raids in Maharashtra, the exam scheduled for June 28, 2026 was postponed.
Suggestions In The Report
The report suggests that students or officials should take screenshots of any suspicious Telegram channel or dark web link and immediately report it to the police and exam agencies.
Under no circumstances should money be transacted. Whenever exam dates approach, social media and the dark web should be monitored continuously.
Special 'watermarks' should be put on papers, so that if a leak happens it can be traced immediately to the source.
