Latest news with #WangLikun
Japan Forward
3 days ago
- Japan Forward
How a TOEIC Exam Scam Exploited Japan's Testing System
このページを 日本語 で読む Wang Likun (27), a Chinese national and graduate student at Kyoto University, was arrested for attempting to take the TOEIC exam while impersonating another person. In May, Tokyo's Nakano Police Station received a tip from the test operator who reported suspicious activity. Specifically, some examinees were seen using identical photos under different names. That prompted police to launch an investigation. On May 18, undercover officers were stationed at a test site in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, when Wang arrived wearing a mask to conceal his identity. As expected, he approached the reception desk and claimed, "I forgot my test admission ticket." Police apprehended him on the spot. In Japan, university entrance exams and other qualification tests often allow examinees who forget their admission ticket to receive a provisional one. Typically, they do not conduct strict identity checks. The system operates on a presumption of good faith, prioritizing access to the test over concerns about potential cheating. But this leniency appears to have been exploited by a group of perpetrators. Believed to be Chinese nationals, they took advantage of the loophole for fraudulent purposes. Nakano Police Station (Wikimedia Commons) A fluent English speaker posing as someone else would use the provisional slip to gain entry into the test site. Once inside, they would attempt to relay answers to a fellow "compatriot" seated in the same room. Since TOEIC assigns test venues based on postal codes, the accomplices coordinated their applications carefully. They all registered using the same address to ensure they'd be placed at the same location and could sit the exam together. In total, 43 individuals, including Wang, had listed that single address. The mask Wang wore to hide his identity contained a small embedded microphone. Authorities suspect he used the device to transmit answers to his accomplices. He is believed to have been recruited through an illicit part-time job scheme. He was reportedly taking instructions from a Chinese-speaking handler. The case offers a glimpse into the wider business of fraudulent test-taking. It highlights how Japan's lenient verification procedures are turning it into a target for overseas applicants seeking academic credentials. Wang also took the TOEIC at a different Tokyo venue this past March. At that time, ten individuals registered using the same address. TOEIC is widely recognized in Japan and often used for university admissions, job applications, and even to waive English exam requirements at the graduate level. In China, high TOEIC scores are considered a valuable asset for career advancement in both the public and private sectors. As a shortcut to securing these credentials, cheating through stand-in test takers and other methods has become widespread. Chinese social media is saturated with posts from vendors offering such illicit services. However, according to journalist Zhou Laiyou, who closely tracks developments in China, cheating has become increasingly difficult. This is largely due to the introduction of AI-powered facial recognition and fingerprint authentication in testing environments. Those who are caught face harsh penalties, including prison sentences. In contrast, Japan has yet to adopt fundamental countermeasures, such as blocking smartphone signals during exams, despite a string of cheating scandals. Some observers warn that the cases uncovered so far may be just the tip of the iceberg. Zhou cautions: "As the United States, which has long accepted large numbers of Chinese students, begins tightening restrictions, more may look to nearby Japan as a destination to obtain academic credentials." He emphasized the urgent need for Japan to bolster its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. JLPT Japanese Test Results 'Inconclusive' After Answers Leaked Author: Yuto Sato, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
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.
