Hackers exploit deceased alumni records in diploma fraud

Melike Çalkap – ISTANBUL

An investigation has been launched into allegations that fake diplomas purportedly from Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) were sold to individuals unaffiliated with the institution by manipulating the records of deceased graduates.

Claims surfaced suggesting that the diplomas, which appeared on the e-Devlet (e-government) platform, were created by hacking into the system of a software company serving universities in Türkiye.

The alleged scheme involved deleting the information of deceased YTÜ graduates and replacing it with that of the individuals purchasing the fraudulent diplomas. These diplomas were then uploaded to e-Devlet, where they appeared legitimate.

Gökmen Çiftçi, founder of Preliz software company which provides support to 101 universities in Türkiye, spoke to daily Hürriyet about the allegations.

“Our system was launched in 2009, and it manages the academic procedures of both foundation and state universities. After a university check and approves the list of graduates, it is sent to YÖKSİS, not from us,” Çiftçi clarified.

He emphasized that there was no breach in their system.

“The issue occurred when the password of a YTÜ employee was hacked, allowing fraudsters to manipulate graduate records. They likely used phishing or similar tactics to gain access. The hackers replaced the data of deceased graduates with details of individuals buying fake diplomas, which evaded the system’s automatic warning mechanisms,” he explained.

Preliz Software detected the fraud when they conducted retrospective scans, revealing that eight fake diplomas had been issued.

“We’ve since implemented safeguards to prevent further changes to deceased graduates’ records.”

YTÜ responded to the situation with a statement, confirming that “administrative and legal proceedings, initiated on Sept. 10, are ongoing. We are closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary actions.”