In a recent exposé, it was found that secondary students in Malaysia can buy fake SPM or STPM certificates for just RM500 ($165) on Whatsapp.
SPM is the GCE ‘O’ level equivalent for Malaysian students. A full certificate is required for admission into universities and colleges or to apply for jobs.
Students who fail some of their papers and did not get their certificates can obtain one with the help of a forger, who claimed to have “inside help” at the Ministry of Education.
Besides the paper qualification, students will also have their records reflected on the ministry’s database.
A reporter from the local media, Oriental Daily News, followed a tip-off and contacted the forger, known as Huang, on the pretext of buying an SPM certificate.
Huang told the reported on Whatsapp that only a credit will be shown on the forged certificate to avoid suspicion and gave verbal guarantee that someone inside the ministry helps him to reflect the grades in the ministry’s records.
Customers only need to provide their name, where they studied or send a copy of their original SPM certificate for reference.
Huang boasted that the service has been going on “for many years” and that the certificate has been successful in helping candidates get into higher education institutions as well as jobs “without any problem”.
“We have our people in the ministry. Whatever scores shown on your certificate are the same as those kept in the ministry’s database, so don't worry,” he said.