Fraudulent website exists despite report

Despite police being told 20 days ago about the "fraud" website Rashtriya Vigyan Kendra (www.rvk.net.in) which copied the National Science Centre and Department of Science and Technology website and tried to lure innocent people to send drafts for alleged vacancies for nearly 100 posts, no suspect has been held so far. The website still continues to exist.

Despite police being told 20 days ago about the "fraud" website Rashtriya Vigyan Kendra (www.rvk.net.in) which copied the National Science Centre and Department of Science and Technology website and tried to lure innocent people to send drafts for alleged vacancies for nearly 100 posts, no suspect has been held so far. The website still continues to exist.

HT Image

According to National Science Centre SM Khened, "A police complaint was made to the UP police on Jan 1, 2010. Till today, I am not aware of police having apprehended any suspect in this regard. Later we had also informed Delhi police personnel in charge of Cyber crime."

Meanwhile AKS India Web Solutions, which powered the website, has removed its logo from the site.

Director General Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) Gulshan Rai told HT that they could take action against the site including blocking it only if they received a formal letter from the Ministry concerned.

The National Science Centre is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture.

Khened said that they, as well as the Department of Science and Technology which had some portions of data from their sites copied on the fraud site have placed disclaimers on their home page disowning any connection with the fraud website. "Applicant to the said organisation will be doing so at their own risk and the Government doesn't accept any responsibility whatsoever," the disclaimer added.

Neeraj Arora specializing in Cyber Law said, "Police should try to trace the suspect through domain name information, server on which the website has been hosted, company which has provided the web space and the mode of payment. The IP address through which the suspect has communicated with website hosting company can be located and the true identity of the suspect can be traced who can be booked under several new provisions of the IT Act and under the existing law of IPC."