Protecting Yourself from AISSEE 2026 E-Counselling Frauds & Scams
Joshi ji forwarded me a screenshot at 11 PM.
"Sharma ji, I got this message on WhatsApp. It says my son's e-counselling choice filling needs to be 'verified' through this link, or his allotment will be cancelled. There's a link to click. Is this real? E-counselling closes tomorrow and I'm scared to miss it."
I looked at the screenshot. Official-looking AISSAC logo. Urgent language. A link that, when I checked it later, led to a fake login page designed to steal portal credentials.
Completely fake. But Joshi ji — at 11 PM, with a deadline tomorrow, scared of losing his son's seat — almost clicked it.
E-counselling season is when AISSEE-related scams are at their peak. The process is genuinely confusing, deadlines are genuinely tight, and stakes are genuinely high — exactly the conditions scammers exploit. Here's the complete guide to recognising and avoiding e-counselling fraud in 2026.
Why E-Counselling Season Is Prime Scam Territory
Three factors combine during e-counselling to create ideal conditions for fraud:
Genuine confusion: Even honest families find e-counselling genuinely confusing — rounds, preferences, upgrades, deadlines, portals. Scammers exploit this confusion by offering to "help" or by mimicking official processes.
Genuine urgency: Real deadlines exist and are tight. A message claiming urgency feels plausible because urgency is, in fact, part of the real process.
Genuine stakes: A confirmed seat, months of preparation, family hopes — all on the line. Fear of losing this makes people act before thinking.
Scammers design messages specifically to trigger all three simultaneously.
Scam Type 1: Fake Verification Links
How it works:
WhatsApp or SMS message with official-looking logos (AISSAC, NTA, Ministry of Defence) claiming your e-counselling status needs "verification" or "confirmation" through a link. Urgency language — "complete within 2 hours or allotment cancelled."
The link leads to a fake login page that looks identical to AISSAC portal. When you enter your credentials — username and password — they're captured by scammers.
What scammers do with stolen credentials:
Access your actual AISSAC account. Change your preferences (sometimes to schools that benefit them in some scheme, or just maliciously). Access personal information for further scams.
How to identify:
Official AISSAC and NTA communications never come via WhatsApp links asking for "verification." Official portals don't send urgent SMS demanding immediate login through external links.
Check the URL carefully. Official AISSAC portal is aissac.sainikschooladmission.in. Fake versions often have subtle differences — extra characters, different domain extensions (.com instead of .in, or completely different domain with similar-looking text).
What to do:
Never click links in unsolicited WhatsApp or SMS messages related to AISSEE/AISSAC. Always navigate to the portal directly by typing the URL yourself or using a bookmark you created earlier. If genuinely unsure whether something requires action — log in directly to the portal (typed manually) and check your status there.
Scam Type 2: Fake Counselling "Assistance" Services
How it works:
Someone — sometimes claiming to be a "former AISSAC official" or "counselling expert" — offers paid assistance with choice filling, claiming insider knowledge of cutoffs or guaranteed seat allocation strategies for a fee.
"Pay ₹5,000 and I'll fill your choices in a way that guarantees Sainik School Lucknow" — or similar claims.
Why this is fraud:
E-counselling allocation is algorithm-based, following published rules (rank, category, preferences, seat availability). No individual — inside or outside the system — can "guarantee" a specific allocation. Anyone claiming this ability is either lying or potentially planning to manipulate your account access (see Scam Type 1).
Legitimate vs illegitimate help:
Legitimate: A coaching centre or counsellor who explains historical cutoff trends, helps you understand quota rules, and helps you build a well-reasoned preference list based on publicly available information and your specific rank/category. This is genuinely valuable guidance — but it's guidance, not a guarantee.
Illegitimate: Anyone promising a specific outcome ("you will get School X") or asking for portal login credentials to "fill it for you directly."
What to do:
Never share your AISSAC login credentials with anyone — including coaching centres. Legitimate guidance helps you decide what to enter; you enter it yourself.
Be skeptical of any "guarantee" language. The system doesn't allow guarantees. Anyone offering one is either uninformed or dishonest.
Scam Type 3: Fake Document Verification Fee Demands
How it works:
After Round 1 or Round 2 allotment, a call or message claims that document verification requires a "processing fee" payment to a specific account before you can proceed.
Why this is fraud:
Document verification at Sainik Schools does not involve a separate "processing fee" payable to a private account. Any fees associated with admission are paid through official school accounts as part of the formal fee structure — not through phone calls demanding immediate UPI transfer.
How to identify:
Same red flags as medical call scams: payment demand on phone call, urgency, private account/UPI ID for payment.
What to do:
Verify directly with the allotted school using their official contact number from sainikschool.ncog.gov.in. Confirm whether any such fee genuinely exists (it doesn't, but verify if uncertain). Never pay based on a phone call alone.
Scam Type 4: Fake "Upgrade Guarantee" Calls
How it works:
After Round 1 allotment, a call claims to be from "AISSAC support" offering to help you "upgrade" to a better school for a fee, claiming special access to seat availability information.
Why this is fraud:
Upgrade decisions are made by you, on the portal, through the official choice revision process. No external party has special access to influence this. Anyone offering paid "upgrade assistance" with implied special access is fabricating capability they don't have.
What to do:
Make upgrade decisions based on your own research (cutoff trends, your rank/category analysis) — or with guidance from a legitimate coaching centre that explains the data without claiming special portal access. Execute the decision yourself on the official portal.
Scam Type 5: Fake School Representative Calls
How it works:
A call claims to be from the allotted school's administration, providing information about joining requirements, and at some point requests payment for "admission confirmation" or "seat booking fee" beyond the normal fee structure.
How to identify:
Real schools communicate joining requirements through official letters, AISSAC portal, and official email. They don't typically call parents demanding immediate payment via phone for "confirmation."
What to do:
Cross-verify any school communication by calling the school's official number (from sainikschool.ncog.gov.in) independently — not the number that called you.
The Five Universal Red Flags
Across all scam types, these patterns repeat:
1. Urgency that demands immediate action: "Within 2 hours," "today only," "before midnight." Real government processes give reasonable notice periods.
2. Payment via personal UPI/bank account: Any payment demand to a personal account (not official institutional account) for any AISSEE-related process is fraudulent.
3. Request for portal credentials: No legitimate entity needs your AISSAC username/password. Ever.
4. Communication via unofficial channels: WhatsApp messages with links, calls from private mobile numbers, SMS with shortened URLs — official communication comes through portal, official email, and official letters.
5. Claims of special access or guarantees: "I can guarantee," "I have insider information," "special access to seat allocation" — the system is rule-based and published. No special access exists.
What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Communication
Don't engage further. Don't click links, don't call back, don't respond to messages.
Verify independently. Log in to AISSAC portal directly (typed URL). Call school using number from official directory. Check NTA's official announcements page.
Report it. National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Or file complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Include screenshots of the fraudulent communication.
Warn your network. Parent groups, coaching centre groups — share what you encountered so others recognise the same scam.
What Joshi Ji Did
He didn't click the link. He called me first — at 11 PM, understandably anxious.
I told him: log into AISSAC portal directly using the bookmark from your browser, not the link in the message. Check your status there.
His status was completely normal. No verification required. The message was fake.
He reported the WhatsApp message and number to cybercrime.gov.in the next day.
His son's e-counselling proceeded normally through the official portal — no "verification link" ever needed.
For complete Sainik School admission guidance including help distinguishing legitimate processes from scams at every stage — we walk families through e-counselling with full transparency about what's real and what isn't.
Bottom Line
E-counselling season is peak scam season — confusion, urgency, and high stakes combine to make families vulnerable.
Fake verification links: never click WhatsApp/SMS links for AISSAC. Navigate to portal directly by typing URL.
Fake counselling "guarantees": no individual can guarantee specific allocation. The system is rule-based. Never share portal credentials with anyone.
Fake fee demands (document verification, upgrade, school confirmation): no AISSEE process requires payment via phone call to personal accounts. Verify directly with school using official contact numbers.
Five universal red flags: urgency, personal account payment, credential requests, unofficial communication channels, guarantee claims.
If suspicious: don't engage, verify independently through official channels, report to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, warn other parents.
Real e-counselling happens entirely on the official AISSAC portal through your own login, with information from official sources. Anything outside this — treat with suspicion.
Need help navigating e-counselling safely with guidance on what's legitimate at every step? Contact us for honest, scam-aware support through the entire process.
Want more information about AISSEE admission process, scam warnings, and how to navigate e-counselling safely? Read our blog for complete guides on every aspect of Sainik School admission.