A public advisory has been released by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) cautioning against fraudulent acts by imposters posing as affiliated with the organization. 

The notice claims that some people are calling scammers in an attempt to obtain personal information for the purpose of attestation or re-verification of academic documents. It has been emphasized by the HEC that it does not let any representatives or agents handle these services.

Among the public alert's main points are:

• False agents claiming to be from HEC are charging exorbitant costs for degree verification services that go above and beyond what HEC normally charges.
• Phishing social media accounts have been observed, purporting to provide services for verifying degrees.
• It is highly recommended that the general public ignore any phone calls or messages on social media that purport to provide HEC attestation services.

HEC has made it clear that, in order to provide attestation services, it does not reach out to people directly. People should only visit the HEC website at www.hec.gov.pk or utilize the official attestation portal at eservices.hec.gov.pk to verify their degrees.

Related Article: HEC Degree Attestation: Applicant Registration, Fee and Much More.

People are advised to file complaints with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) via phone at 0800-55055, on their website www.pta.gov.pk, or by reporting scam calls to their telecom providers. People should email the State Bank of Pakistan at cpd.helpdesk@sbp.org.pk if they believe they have been the victim of financial fraud.

In addition, HEC has cautioned the public to exercise caution and refrain from disclosing personal information to third parties or via phony internet platforms.