UCF student hacks system to change failing grade, police say

Student accused of changing 'F' to 'B'

ORLANDO, Fla. – A student wasn't happy with his "F" grade in his engineering class so he logged into a faculty computer and changed it, according to University of Central Florida police.

Sami Adel Ammar, 22, was arrested Tuesday on a warrant after detectives linked him to the grade change.

A UCF engineering professor said he received an email on May 4 from the university’s electronic grade book program thanking him for approving his grade roster, but the professor said he had approved the roster much earlier in the day and had already received that confirmation email.

The professor checked the grade roster and said he was surprised to find that the class grade for Sami Ammar was changed from an “F” to a “B,” according to the arrest warrant.

The professor tried to change the grade back, but received an error message.

The professor said he recognized Ammar's name because he had only completed one assignment all semester, and that assignment wasn’t for a grade, but to prove he enrolled in the class for financial aid.

[RECOMMENDED: Ex-Playmate sentenced for 'body-shaming' | Counselors OD at addiction facility]

UCF employees called UCF police on May 5 after they saw two unidentified men in the staff rooms 306 and 307. Police were unable to find the two men.

Detectives identified the IP address used to change the grade as a computer located inside the Mathematical Sciences Building room 306. Samuel Williams and Ammar were seen on security footage going into room 306.

Deputies said they have been unable to contact Williams in an effort to interview him about the incident. Williams was leaving for California, his father told UCF, and would be unavailable to meet, the report shows.

[SEE THESE? Break-ing news: TV mistakes | Tattoo spell check | World's craziest beach]

Ammar was trespassed from campus and is charged with accessing a computer without authority.