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## 🔎 Notable Major IELTS Scams
### **Gujarat IELTS scam (2022)**
* In this case, police in Mehsana (Gujarat) unearthed a large racket in which aspirants paid large sums — reportedly around ₹14 lakh each — to obtain high IELTS band‑score certificates without legitimately qualifying. ([The Times of India][1])
* As many as ~950 people from Gujarat were suspected of fraudulently securing high IELTS scores under this scheme in a single year. ([The Times of India][1])
* The scheme involved collusion between human smugglers, exam‑centre staff, and aspirants. Exam administrators reportedly turned off CCTV cameras during the exam, substitute candidates gave the test in place of the real aspirants, and fake certificates were issued. ([The Times of India][2])
* Because of this, the authorities booked 45 people (including coaching‑class owners, educational‑firm heads, supervisors, and students) under various charges (forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy). ([The Times of India][3])
This scandal is massive in both scale (hundreds of people) and potential impact (fraudulent immigration, damage to institutions’ credibility). Many consider it the single biggest-known “IELTS scam.”
### **Fake IELTS certificate scam (2010, Gujarat)**
* A decade earlier, police arrested 10 people in Gujarat for issuing fake IELTS certificates. According to reports, the racket had issued around 110 fake certificates and collected between ₹4–5 crore. ([The Indian Express][4])
* The fraudsters created a dummy version of the IELTS portal, and issued fake certificates after charging candidates fees ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh depending on financial status. ([The Indian Express][4])
* It was detected when a candidate’s application at a foreign university was rejected — his IELTS certificate was found to be fake. ([The Indian Express][4])
Though smaller in scale than the 2022 scandal, this older scam was significant for its audacity: faking official IELTS certificates using a dummy portal and orchestrating a black‑market trade.
### Broader Historical Context: Fake certificates & paper‑leak rackets
* As early as the mid‑2000s, there were reports of “fake English competency certificates” being used by students from Asian countries to enroll in foreign universities. Fake or forged certificates (including IELTS) were reportedly sold on black markets. ([Times Higher Education (THE)][5])
* More recently (2025), a major exam‑paper leak racket was uncovered in Dhaka (Bangladesh), with arrests made after leaked IELTS papers were sold to students before the test — leading to fraudulent high scores. ([The Finance Today][6])
These underline that cheating and fraud around IELTS have been systemic and global, not limited to one country or decade.
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## 🧮 Why the 2022 Gujarat Scam Often Ranks as “Greatest”
| Factor | What Made It Huge |
| ——————————– | ————————————————————————————————————————– |
| **Scale** | ~950 suspected fake‑score aspirants — far more than earlier scams. |
| **Monetary magnitude** | Each aspirant reportedly paid ~₹14 lakh; with hundreds involved, total money exchanged was high. |
| **Complex orchestration** | Involved human smugglers, exam‑centre insiders, substitute test‑takers, fake certificates, CCTV manipulation. |
| **Cross-border implications** | Affected immigration to US/Canada — some caught crossing border illegally; certificate misuse for visas/admissions abroad. |
| **Exposure and legal crackdown** | 45 people booked, including organizers, centre‑owners, staff — large‑scale investigation by police. |
Because of all these factors combined, many media and legal observers consider this the most consequential IELTS scam to date — effectively undermining the credibility of IELTS exam results for a large group.
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## ⚠️ Broader Significance & What It Means for Students
* These scams hurt not just individuals, but the integrity of international education and immigration systems. When fraudulent results come to light (or are suspected), authorities in destination countries often tighten verification checks or distrust legitimate applicants.
* Aspirants who genuinely worked hard — especially from countries with high competition — are unfairly impacted, as overall trust in English‑proficiency certificates erodes.
* Legal consequences are serious: in Gujarat case, those involved were booked for forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy — showing that it’s not a harmless scam, but a serious crime.
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* [The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/ielts-scam-hc-directs-jmfc-court-to-decide-closure-report-afresh/articleshow/122671894.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
[1]: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/950-from-gujarat-used-fake-ielts-scores-to-move-to-us-canada/articleshow/93308617.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ielts: 950 From Gujarat Used Fake Ielts Scores To Move To Us, Canada | Ahmedabad News – Times of India”
[2]: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarat-45-booked-three-arrested-in-ielts-scam/articleshow/94014244.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ielts: Gujarat: 45 booked, three arrested in IELTS scam | Ahmedabad News – Times of India”
[3]: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/gujarat-cops-unearth-ielts-exam-racket-coaching-class-owner-education-firm-ceo-among-45-booked/articleshow/94015851.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Gujarat cops unearth IELTS exam racket, coaching class owner, education firm CEO among 45 booked – Times of India”
[4]: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/fake-ielts-certificate-scam-exposed-10-held/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Fake IELTS certificate scam exposed,10 held | Ahmedabad News – The Indian Express”
[5]: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/trade-in-fake-papers-soars/196461.article?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Trade in fake papers soars | Times Higher Education (THE)”
[6]: https://www.thefinancetoday.net/article/national/29400/Massive-IELTS-exam-paper-leak-racket-uncovered?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Massive IELTS exam paper leak racket uncovered | National | FT | The National Financial Portal”