19-year-old accused of accessing 150 NEET accounts, siphoning refund money

A 19-year-old man from Bihar has been arrested for allegedly diverting refund amounts meant for NEET-UG candidates into his own bank account after gaining unauthorised access to their accounts on the examination portal. The accused, identified as Naveen Yadav from Gaya district, was arrested following an investigation into fraudulent refund transactions involving NEET 2026 candidates.

According to investigators, the accused allegedly exploited weak passwords and security vulnerabilities to access the accounts of registered NEET candidates. Police said he altered the bank account details linked to student profiles, causing refund payments of approximately ₹1,700 per candidate to be transferred to his own account instead of the intended beneficiaries.

The case came to light after a complaint was received regarding irregularities in refund transactions processed through the NEET-UG portal. During the investigation, authorities found that an unauthorised individual had accessed multiple candidate accounts and modified banking information. Investigators alleged that the accused targeted more than 350 registered candidates and successfully gained access to around 150 accounts.

Police stated that the accused allegedly used brute-force techniques to crack passwords by exploiting weak login credentials and security loopholes. After obtaining access, he reportedly replaced the registered bank account details with his own. Investigators later sought transaction details from the National Testing Agency, which helped trace the flow of funds and identify the accused. He was subsequently located and arrested in Bihar.

Authorities said the diverted funds were linked to refunds due to NEET 2026 candidates. Following the incident, security measures on the NEET portal were strengthened, including enhancements to authentication systems. Officials stated that the portal previously lacked two-factor authentication, a vulnerability that has since been addressed. Investigators are also examining whether the accused may have been involved in any other cyber fraud cases.