Online Betting Ads Planted on Indian Government Websites by Scammers: Report

Scammers have recently exploited a loophole in some Indian government websites, embedding ads that lead users to online betting platforms. TechCrunch identified nearly 50 links on "gov.in" domains across multiple Indian states, such as Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram, and Telangana, that were compromised.

Notably, the affected sites included those of state police and property tax departments. These malicious ads were indexed by search engines like Google, making them easily accessible to the public.

Indian Government Websites Targeted

The fraudsters promoted what they called "Asia's most popular" betting site and "the number one online cricket betting app in India." Among the games available for betting were prominent cricket tournaments like the Indian Premier League.

The method used by scammers to insert these ads into government websites remains unclear, as does the duration for which these redirects were active.

Upon discovering this breach, TechCrunch promptly reported the issue to India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). After their report earlier this week, CERT-In acknowledged the communication and confirmed on Thursday that they had escalated the matter for further action.

An Alarming Trend

While they have engaged with relevant authorities, it is uncertain if the security flaw has been addressed. This incident echoes a similar situation reported by TechCrunch last June, where scammers managed to post ads for hacking services on U.S. government websites through a vulnerability in the web content management system software.

Some of these advertisements were reportedly active online for an extended period. The quick response from CERT-In highlights the urgency and seriousness with which such cybersecurity threats are treated. However, it leaves lingering questions about the security measures in place on government websites and the steps being taken to prevent future occurrences.

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