Two arrested on TOEIC cheating suspicions

Two people were arrested on suspicion of aiding test applicants cheat on an internationally-administered English proficiency test using mobile devices, Seoul police said Tuesday, according to Yonhap News.



The two, who met in prison, put out ads on Internet cafes promising high scores on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), according to the police.



They took between 2 million to 3 million won (US$155-$233) per person and pocketed some 50 million won by helping them cheat on the TOEIC between February and May this year, investigators said.



One of the two arrested, a former English language instructor, allegedly took the test and text-messaged correct answers through his accomplice. Most of the cheaters were able to raise their scores from an average 500 to 900 points.



Most of the 28 people booked for cheating were in their 20s and 30s and looking for jobs. There were also nine salaried workers, police said.



"The two suspects took advantage of those desperate to find jobs as high TOEIC scores often play a big role in finding jobs," a police official said.