Over 90 government-linked domains are sending visitors to dangerous sites.
These sites are often linked to online betting scams or investment frauds.
Compromised content management systems or faulty server configurations could be the root cause of these redirects.
In a troubling cybersecurity issue, several Indian government websites continue to redirect users to harmful and fraudulent websites, raising major concerns about online safety. Over 90 government-linked domains, including prominent ones like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and India Post, are sending visitors to dangerous sites. These sites are often linked to online betting scams or investment frauds, which can easily trick users into engaging in illegal activities.
The issue was first uncovered in May last year when TechCrunch reported that multiple government websites with the “gov.in” domain were being hijacked to lead users to shady betting platforms. Despite efforts to fix the problem, the situation remains unresolved, and the threat continues to linger. This is especially concerning as search engines like Google have indexed these malicious links, making it even easier for users to stumble upon them.
Also read: Surat businessman loses Rs 5 lakh in currency exchange scam: How to protect yourself
The Indian government’s cybersecurity agency, CERT-In, was notified about the issue, but there has been no clear indication that the vulnerability has been fully addressed.
This week, cybersecurity experts, including Deedy Das from Menlo Ventures, have raised alarms on social media about the ongoing risk. They believe that compromised content management systems or faulty server configurations could be the root cause of these redirects. In simpler terms, even though some of the harmful content has been removed from the affected pages, the underlying issues that allowed these redirects to happen in the first place are still present.
Also read: Mumbai woman loses Rs 1.5cr to fraudsters posing as govt officials: Here’s what happened
While many of the affected links now show a “page not found” error, this could be a temporary fix. If the core vulnerabilities are not resolved, the issue could easily resurface.
As users, it’s crucial to be cautious when visiting these sites, as the risk of falling into online scams remains high until the problem is fully addressed.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
