Scam targets O level students with claim that exam papers were lost in fire

Students have received a cautionary message from the MATSEC examination board regarding a deceptive email they could have received.

The email, sent out on Tuesday afternoon, falsely informs recipients that they must retake certain exams because their papers were damaged in a fire incident. 

Addressed to parents, the subject line of the email reads "O-level rescheduling," claiming that a storage unit fire resulted in the destruction of a batch of examination papers.

The email states, "candidates with damaged papers are required to retake the exam. Each exam will be divided into two parts, with a half-hour break in between to alleviate the students' burden." 

It should be noted that neither SEC nor MATSEC examinations typically include breaks. 

Additionally, while MATSEC exams usually last three hours, the email asserts that these exams will extend beyond four-and-a-half hours.

Included in the email is a timetable for the 12 rescheduled exams, commencing with Mathematics Paper 1B allegedly taking place on Wednesday between 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM. 

Other (non-existent) exams listed in the timetable, scheduled until June 9, include English literature, religion, biology, and environmental studies. 

Notably, the email fails to provide any information regarding the examination venue.