National

Supreme Court Registry Issues Public Warning Over Deceptive Web Portal Targeting Citizen Credentials

By The Legal Alpha Web Desk · 3 November 2026 · 3 min read
Supreme Court Registry Issues Public Warning Over Deceptive Web Portal Targeting Citizen Credentials

The Supreme Court of India Registry has officially issued a public advisory cautioning citizens, litigants, and legal practitioners against an illegitimate web domain designed to mimic the apex court's official digital portal. Cybercriminals launched the fraudulent website under the address scigovinjudicial.com to deceive visitors into disclosing sensitive credentials and private data. The administrative wing of the court alerted the public after identifying phishing risks tied to the unauthorized platform.

Legal Topic

  • Area of Law: Cyber Law and Information Technology

  • Sub-topic: Phishing, Cyber Impersonation, and Identity Theft

Core Legal Issue

The primary legal issue involves the misuse of judicial identity through cybersquatting and domain spoofing to execute data harvesting and potential financial fraud. The court's administration addressed how judicial institutions must proactively alert users and mitigate online impersonation risks that threaten sensitive personal data and public trust in judicial digital infrastructure.

What Did the Court / Authority Decide?

The Registry formally flagged the malicious address and urged all stakeholders to avoid sharing any confidential, personal, or financial records through suspicious web interfaces. The notice reiterated that the Supreme Court of India operates exclusively under the government domain sci.gov.in.

The advisory outlined several precautionary steps for digital users:

  • Users must hover over web links to verify URL authenticity prior to clicking or interacting.

  • Individuals who believe their credentials have been exposed must reset passwords across their online accounts immediately.

  • Compromised users must promptly alert their respective banking institutions to prevent unauthorized financial transactions.

Key Legal Points

  • Protection Against Institutional Impersonation: Deceptive domain registrations mimicking constitutional institutions pose severe risks under Indian criminal and technology regulations.

  • Institutional Domain Exclusivity: The Supreme Court reiterated that all legitimate judicial listings, filing systems, and digital records remain strictly hosted under the verified government domain sci.gov.in.

  • User Due Diligence: The advisory emphasizes proactive URL verification and immediate institutional reporting to limit liability and harm from phishing incursions.

Relevant Law

  • Section 66C, Information Technology Act, 2000: Prescribes punishment for identity theft through fraudulent use of electronic signatures, passwords, or other identification marks.

  • Section 66D, Information Technology Act, 2000: Penalizes cheating by personation using computer resources.

  • Section 318, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (or Section 419/420, Indian Penal Code, 1860): Offenses relating to cheating and cheating by personation.

Arguments of the Parties

Because this matter arose from an administrative public notice issued by the Supreme Court Registry rather than an adversarial judicial hearing, there are no petitioner or respondent arguments on record. The Registry acted suo motu in its administrative capacity to protect litigants and the public from ongoing online deception.

Why Does It Matter?

As court registries and case management mechanisms transition increasingly to paperless e-filing and virtual hearings, malicious actors frequently exploit institutional credibility to target unsophisticated litigants. Fake domains designed to resemble court registries can be deployed to intercept legal filings, compromise case confidentiality, and drain bank accounts under the pretext of statutory court fee deposits. This incident demonstrates the ongoing vulnerability of public legal infrastructure to sophisticated phishing operations and highlights the need for continuous domain monitoring and cybersecurity compliance across all levels of the judiciary.

Legal Takeaway

The Supreme Court of India interacts with the public solely through its verified government domain sci.gov.in. Anyone encountering alternative web addresses soliciting personal credentials or payments under the apex court's name should treat them as fraudulent phishing attempts, refrain from entering information, and notify banking authorities immediately if compromised.

Sources

  • Primary Source: Supreme Court of India Registry Official Public Notice / Advisory on Phishing Domain Impersonation.

  • Additional Sources: Press Trust of India (PTI) Legal News Service.

Related reporting