Hanoi police have summoned a person suspected of hacking into an elementary school’s SMS system to trick hundreds of students into skipping one school day.

The suspect is working for a company that designs similar systems for schools in the capital, according to Le Hong Son, an anti-cybercrime police chief.

The hacker exploited a bug in Ha Dinh Elementary School’s messaging software to send text messages to parents on September 5, saying there would be no school the next day and Ha Dinh would collect VND1.4 million (US$67) for tuition and facility improvement.

This hacking was intended to ruin the reputation of the company’s competitor, which had developed the system, local newswire VnExpress quoted a source as saying.

The school then texted the parents an apology and explained the situation after it discovered the hacking.

More than 180 students were off the following day despite the correction SMS.

Such hacking has occurred at several other schools so Ha Dinh decided to report it to the police.