After the Gaokao: How Scammers and Hackers Target Students and What to Do

1. Data Leakage: Your Information May End Up with "Fake Universities"

Hackers rarely attack individual accounts; instead they breach admission agencies, volunteer application sites, or exam‑result portals, exposing millions of students' personal data such as names, ID numbers, scores, and home addresses, which are then sold to fraudulent enrollment agents or telecom scammers.

Real‑world incidents show that compromised regional admission systems have leaked tens of thousands of records, enabling callers to accurately quote a student's name, score range, and subject choices.

Avoid entering real name, ID number, or exam number on unofficial volunteer‑filling mini‑programs or websites.

Verify any recruitment call that mentions your name through official provincial education exam authority channels.

Use only the official exam authority platform for volunteer selection; ignore any "paid internal channels".

2. Phishing Attacks: Anxiety Is the Perfect Door‑Knocker

During the score‑release period, heightened anxiety makes students and parents vulnerable to mass‑sent fake score‑checking SMS, phishing links masquerading as education authority sites, and highly realistic counterfeit volunteer‑selection systems.

Typical tactics include messages like "Your 2026 Gaokao score is out, click to view" that install malware stealing banking passwords, and cloned websites that capture login credentials.

From 2019 to 2023, police dismantled numerous phishing sites that mimicked official domains (e.g., replacing "gov.cn" with "gov‑scor.cn"). Some phishing SMS even pretended to be from schools, directing users to malicious download links.

Only trust official provincial education exam authority websites and the Ministry of Education's "Sunshine Gaokao" platform.

Official sites always end with gov.cn; any "exam" site without that suffix should be ignored.

Never click unknown score‑checking links received via SMS, WeChat groups, or QQ groups.

Bookmark the official score‑checking URL and access it directly from the bookmark to avoid search‑engine traps.

3. "Hacker Grade Change": A Physically Impossible Myth

Scammers claim they can hack admission‑office systems to alter scores for a fee, prompting desperate students or parents to transfer money.

Technically, Gaokao grading systems and provincial admission databases operate on physically isolated internal networks (LANs) with no internet connection, making any remote intrusion impossible.

Attempting to pay for such services not only leads to financial loss but also exposes the payer to legal risk for seeking illicit grade manipulation.

All offers to "hack" scores or provide "internal admission channels" are 100% scams.

Official scores are final; dissatisfied candidates should consider legitimate retaking or adult‑education pathways.

Never transfer money to anyone claiming to offer a "back‑door"; doing so risks both loss and legal consequences.

4. Social‑Media Photo Sharing: Every Posted Image May Leak Your Privacy

After the exam, students eagerly share photos of exam halls, score‑checking moments, and admission notices. Unmasked images can expose personal data such as exam numbers, QR codes, barcodes, and ID details, which hackers can decode for targeted scams.

In 2022, a case was solved where scammers scanned QR codes on posted admission notices to obtain personal information and impersonated university admission officers. In 2023, multiple students reported receiving fraud calls after posting exam‑ticket photos, with scammers already knowing their names, exam numbers, and scores.

Mask all personal identifiers—exam numbers, ID numbers, QR/barcodes, home addresses—before publishing.

Use image‑editing tools to blur or pixelate sensitive regions; do not rely solely on platform‑provided blur functions.

Keep official login credentials confidential; never share them with classmates or tutoring staff.

Adjust privacy settings to disable search by phone number or WeChat ID, reducing precise targeting.

Conclusion: Three Post‑Exam Security Rules

Trust Only Official Sources : Access scores and volunteer platforms exclusively via gov.cn domains.

Do Not Share Private Details : Blur or mask exam tickets, admission notices, and ID cards before posting.

Ignore All Myths : Any claim of "hacker grade change" or "internal admission shortcuts" is a scam.

Follow these guidelines to safeguard personal information while celebrating academic achievements.