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Asahi Shimbun
26-05-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: From high-tech cheating to forged diplomas, fraud never ends
The building where the TOEIC English proficiency test was held. The Chinese graduate student visited this exam venue in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward on May 18 and is accused of trespassing at the venue by impersonating another test-taker. (Noriki Nishioka) I remember wandering down a back alley in Beijing's university district more than 30 years ago and stumbling upon a stall selling fake diplomas. The counterfeit certificates weren't limited to those from China's elite institutions such as Peking University or Tsinghua University—they included diplomas from prestigious overseas universities including Oxford in Britain, all neatly displayed in a row. At the time, such illicit practices were widespread in China, treated almost as part of daily life. Curious, I asked the vendor—a man in a threadbare black suit—whether he had any Japanese diplomas. He flashed a sly grin and said, 'If you bring me a real one, I'll make you a copy for free.' So that's how it worked, I thought. To forge something convincingly, you first need an authentic model. It dawned on me once again that fraud of this kind rarely happens in isolation; there are always enablers. In this way, diploma forgery is not so different from exam cheating. What makes such misconduct especially troubling is its ambiguity: The victims are often invisible and those committing the acts tend to feel little guilt. Recently, a Chinese graduate student at Kyoto University was arrested at a testing site for the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). He reportedly admitted to taking the widely recognized exam—designed to assess the English proficiency of non-native speakers—on behalf of someone else. Investigators believe he hid a miniature microphone inside his face mask. Authorities are now examining the possibility that he used the device to transmit answers to another test-taker. In a society such as China's, where personal connections often dictate opportunity, access to influential networks are usually the privilege of the wealthy and well-placed. Those without such advantages—the children of ordinary or disadvantaged families—are left to stake their hopes on the meritocracy of exams. For them, relentless effort is the only path forward in an unforgivingly competitive world. And yet, that fragile sense of fairness is all too often betrayed by acts of deception like this. When I think back to that long-ago alleyway in Beijing, I wonder what became of those who bought fake diplomas. Did they use them to land a job or gain admission to a foreign university—robbing someone else of an opportunity they had rightfully earned? In a world already steeped in inequity, perhaps they convinced themselves that it didn't matter. But I can't help asking: Is that person—man or woman—who once paid for a counterfeit certificate actually happy now? —The Asahi Shimbun, May 26 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Asahi Shimbun
20-05-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Chinese accused of impersonation to help others cheat on TOEIC
Tokyo police have arrested a Chinese graduate student who is believed to be a central figure in widespread cheating on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). Wang Likun, 27, from Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, is accused of trespassing at a TOEIC exam venue in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward by impersonating another test-taker, the Metropolitan Police Department said May 19. He reportedly admitted to the allegations, saying, 'It is true that I was present at the test venue with an ID card that is different from my real name.' According to the Nogata Police Station in the capital, the suspect, in a conspiracy with others, entered the venue at 2:50 p.m. on May 18 without a legitimate reason. The test organizer had contacted police earlier this month, saying, 'Recently, we've been seeing test-takers with the same face photos but different names.' Police officers were on guard at the venue on May 18 when Wang showed up. He told the reception desk that he had 'forgotten his test ticket.' When the officers interviewed Wang, he admitted that he was pretending to be someone else. He said he was trying to create a spare admission ticket under a name that was different from the one he had used in previous exams. Wang also had a small microphone of 3 to 4 centimeters hidden in his mask, police said. CHEATING 'JOB' The exam organizers had earlier told police they suspected widespread cheating. 'There has recently been an unusual increase in Chinese people scoring over 900 points (out of 990),' one of them said. They also reported that one test-taker was muttering in Chinese at the exam venue. The MPD believes Wang was the mutterer who was revealing correct answers to other Chinese there. The suspect reportedly said he was looking for part-time work to gain money, and that he found this 'job.' Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the exam-cheating job and who else was involved. The Nogata Police Station plans to refer Wang to prosecutors on May 20 on suspicion of counterfeiting private seals and documents through his impersonation of another test-taker.
NHK
20-05-2025
- NHK
Man arrested over suspected group cheating on TOEIC English test
Tokyo police have arrested a Chinese national over a suspected attempt to take an English proficiency test under a false name. The police suspect that he attempted to give answers to other examinees through a small microphone hidden under a face mask he was wearing. Wang Likun, a 27-year-old graduate student of Kyoto University in western Japan, was arrested in Tokyo on Sunday. The police said the suspect allegedly tried to take the Test of English for International Communication, or TOEIC, at a venue in Tokyo under a different person's name. He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing. Police were on the alert at the time after receiving information from the test organizer that an individual identified as the same person had taken the exam repeatedly under different names each time. They said the suspect told them that someone offered to pay him to take the exam while he was looking for a part-time job. They suspect that he may have engaged in similar practices before. Police say that in the room where the suspect was scheduled to take the test, about 30 percent of the examinees did not show up. They suspect that a wider cheating scheme involving others may have been planned as well, with the arrested person possibly tasked with sharing answers with them.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Asylum seeker can be deported after cheating in English test
A Bangladeshi immigrant could finally be deported from the UK 13 years after he cheated in an English language test. Md Adbur Rahim, 37, was accused by the Home Office of using a proxy to take the English test for him in 2012 which resulted in his application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK being rejected. His deception was uncovered after a BBC Panorama documentary found widespread cheating at test centres and led to thousands of results including Mr Rahim's being declared invalid. He appealed the refusal of his application, insisting he had taken the test himself, beginning a legal saga which went all the way to the Court of Appeal. Now, Upper Tribunal Judge Bulpitt has ruled that it was 'highly probable' Mr Rahim used a proxy for the test and the Home Office was right to refuse his application. Mr Rahim's claim highlights the lengthy legal battles by illegal migrants that has seen the backlog of immigration appeals rise to a record 41,987 outstanding cases. The Government has pledged to clear it by halving the time it takes for them to come to court to just 24 days. Mr Rahim first came to the UK in 2007 as a student and was able to extend his leave until October 2014, when an application to extend was refused. While waiting for the appeal in that case to be heard, he launched a fresh application for indefinite leave to remain in October 2017 on the basis that he had been in the UK for a decade. That application was denied by the Home Office a month later on the basis Mr Rahim had previously used 'deception' to obtain leave to remain by getting a proxy to take an English language test required for his October 2012 application to extend his leave. This refusal then kickstarted a seven-year legal battle between Mr Rahim and the Home Office which went to the Court of Appeal. It started in the first-tier tribunal in December 2018 where the court was told he had taken a Test of English for International Communication administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in 2012. But the Home Office produced evidence to show Mr Rahim's test had likely been taken by a proxy and was therefore invalid. The tribunal concluded the burden of proof was on Mr Rahim to show he had taken the test himself but they found no 'cogent' evidence this was the case and upheld the refusal. Rahim was not allowed to appeal and then applied twice, unsuccessfully, to take his case to the upper tribunal. When his second application was denied he sought a judicial review in the Court of Appeal. This was initially refused but he he was then allowed to appeal that decision and it was decided that the first-tier tribunal had made an error of law concerning the burden of proof. In January this year, the case was heard by Judge Bulpitt to determine whether the decision needed to be remade by the upper tribunal. He concluded that it did. In April, Judge Bulpitt heard the full case including that in February 2014 a BBC Panorama programme had exposed widespread cheating at centres run by ETS which sparked a Home Office investigation. Officials used 'voice biometric technology' to compare matching voices from different tests, a clear indicator that a proxy had been used. On the day Mr Rahim supposedly took the test at the London College of Media and Technology in London. One hundred and thirty one tests were later found to be invalid, including his, and the rest of the 159 taken were recorded as questionable. Mr Rahim told the court he had taken the test himself, relying on a witness statement from 2018 describing his journey to the test centre and the room itself. But he could not provide evidence from anyone who he claimed had recommended the centre to him. Judge Bulpitt found his evidence to be 'wilfully vague' compared to the 'compelling' case offered by the Home Office that the Bangladeshi had used a proxy to conduct the test and therefore the Government was right to refuse his application. He said: 'Overall, we found [Mr Rahim's] account to lack transparency, to be wilfully vague and to lack support in circumstances where supporting evidence especially from his partner could reasonably be expected. 'In contrast to that weak evidence we found the [Home Office's] evidence that [he] used a proxy for his test to be compelling, noting the high instances of fraud at the particular centre used by [Rahim], the appellant's exceptionally high score and the highly probable conclusion reached following the ETS testing that the voice records reveal that [he] used a proxy.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Asylum seeker can be deported after cheating in English test
A Bangladeshi immigrant could finally be deported from the UK 13 years after he cheated in an English language test. Md Adbur Rahim, 37, was accused by the Home Office of using a proxy to take the English test for him in 2012 which resulted in his application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK being rejected. His deception was uncovered after a BBC Panorama documentary found widespread cheating at test centres and led to thousands of results including Mr Rahim's being declared invalid. He appealed the refusal of his application, insisting he had taken the test himself, beginning a legal saga which went all the way to the Court of Appeal. Now, Upper Tribunal Judge Bulpitt has ruled that it was 'highly probable' Mr Rahim used a proxy for the test and the Home Office was right to refuse his application. Seven-year legal battle Mr Rahim's claim highlights the lengthy legal battles by illegal migrants that has seen the backlog of immigration appeals rise to a record 41,987 outstanding cases. The Government has pledged to clear it by halving the time it takes for them to come to court to just 24 days. Mr Rahim first came to the UK in 2007 as a student and was able to extend his leave until October 2014, when an application to extend was refused. While waiting for the appeal in that case to be heard, he launched a fresh application for indefinite leave to remain in October 2017 on the basis that he had been in the UK for a decade. That application was denied by the Home Office a month later on the basis Mr Rahim had previously used 'deception' to obtain leave to remain by getting a proxy to take an English language test required for his October 2012 application to extend his leave. This refusal then kickstarted a seven-year legal battle between Mr Rahim and the Home Office which went to the Court of Appeal. It started in the first-tier tribunal in December 2018 where the court was told he had taken a Test of English for International Communication administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in 2012. But the Home Office produced evidence to show Mr Rahim's test had likely been taken by a proxy and was therefore invalid. The tribunal concluded the burden of proof was on Mr Rahim to show he had taken the test himself but they found no 'cogent' evidence this was the case and upheld the refusal. Rahim was not allowed to appeal and then applied twice, unsuccessfully, to take his case to the upper tribunal. When his second application was denied he sought a judicial review in the Court of Appeal. This was initially refused but he he was then allowed to appeal that decision and it was decided that the first-tier tribunal had made an error of law concerning the burden of proof. In January this year, the case was heard by Judge Bulpitt to determine whether the decision needed to be remade by the upper tribunal. He concluded that it did. In April, Judge Bulpitt heard the full case including that in February 2014 a BBC Panorama programme had exposed widespread cheating at centres run by ETS which sparked a Home Office investigation. Officials used 'voice biometric technology' to compare matching voices from different tests, a clear indicator that a proxy had been used. Mr Rahim was 'wilfully vague' On the day Mr Rahim supposedly took the test at the London College of Media and Technology in London. One hundred and thirty one tests were later found to be invalid, including his, and the rest of the 159 taken were recorded as questionable. Mr Rahim told the court he had taken the test himself, relying on a witness statement from 2018 describing his journey to the test centre and the room itself. But he could not provide evidence from anyone who he claimed had recommended the centre to him. Judge Bulpitt found his evidence to be 'wilfully vague' compared to the 'compelling' case offered by the Home Office that the Bangladeshi had used a proxy to conduct the test and therefore the Government was right to refuse his application. He said: 'Overall, we found [Mr Rahim's] account to lack transparency, to be wilfully vague and to lack support in circumstances where supporting evidence especially from his partner could reasonably be expected. 'In contrast to that weak evidence we found the [Home Office's] evidence that [he] used a proxy for his test to be compelling, noting the high instances of fraud at the particular centre used by [Rahim], the appellant's exceptionally high score and the highly probable conclusion reached following the ETS testing that the voice records reveal that [he] used a proxy.'
