HEC degree attestation: fake callers asking for money, HEC says it never takes payment by phone

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has warned that callers posing as its staff are phoning people and asking for money for degree attestation, equivalence and related services. HEC says it has not authorised anyone to contact the public for these services and never asks for payment over the phone, ProPakistani reported on Sunday.

The commission also told people not to share PIN codes, passwords, personal details or bank information with anyone who calls. The warning matters because attestation is something hundreds of thousands of graduates go through before a job abroad or a government post, and the fake calls target exactly that moment.

How real HEC degree attestation works

Attestation is now fully online and paperless, according to HEC's own degree attestation page. There is no agent, no phone payment and no visit needed.

1. Apply yourself at the HEC e-services portal, eservices.hec.gov.pk: sign up, enter your personal and degree details, choose the documents and upload them.
2. HEC checks the application, then your university verifies the documents.
3. Pay only through 1Bill: when you click "Proceed for Payment" the portal generates a consumer number, which you pay through your own banking app or any 1Link channel.
4. HEC issues an e-Attestation certificate once verification is complete.

Fee: Rs 3,000 per document (degree, transcript, provisional certificate or HEC equivalence letter). A degree plus transcript is Rs 6,000.

Signs a call is a scam

• The caller says they are from HEC and asks you to pay by JazzCash, Easypaisa or a bank transfer to a personal account.
• They offer to "speed up" or "clear" your attestation for an extra fee.
• They ask for a one-time code, your portal password or card details.

None of these happen in the real process. The only payment is the 1Bill consumer number the portal gives you.

What to do if you get a call

• Hang up and do not share any code or detail.
• Check your application yourself on eservices.hec.gov.pk.
• Contact HEC directly: UAN 111-119-432 or 0334-111-9432, or online help at onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk.
• Report the number to your mobile network's helpline and to the PTA, as HEC advises.
• If you already paid or shared a code: call your bank's helpline at once to block the account or card, then file a complaint. Our guide to the PTA courier OTP scam warning walks through the steps.

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