The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man accused of defrauding students by offering fake overseas university admissions and bogus Higher Education Commission (HEC)-funded scholarships.
According to the FIA, the suspect was arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Sialkot. He allegedly operated a consultancy firm named Broadway Consultancy, where he lured students with promises of admission to the University of Nevada, Reno, along with PhD scholarships falsely claimed to be funded by the HEC.
Investigators said the suspect collected $10,000 from each victim in exchange for securing admissions and scholarship opportunities. Students were allegedly provided forged documents bearing the HEC’s name to make the offers appear authentic.
The FIA said the documents were later verified by the Higher Education Commission, which confirmed they were fake. Authorities believe the suspect used the forged paperwork to deceive multiple students seeking higher education abroad.
A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 420, 468, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The operation was led by Assistant Director Investigation Muhammad Nouman, along with ASI Mazhar Shah and other FIA officials.
The FIA said investigations are continuing to determine whether additional suspects were involved in the fraud and to identify more victims who may have been targeted through the consultancy.
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