The Supreme Court of India's Registry has issued an urgent public notice, warning citizens about a fraudulent website designed to impersonate its official portal. This alert highlights a dangerous phishing attempt to steal sensitive personal information.
The Official Warning
In a public notice dated November 3, 2026, the Supreme Court Registry identified a new fraudulent website with the domain 'scigovinjudicial.com'. The advisory warns that this site is maliciously impersonating the court's official online presence. According to the notice, cybercriminals are using this fake portal to conduct phishing attacks, aiming to solicit and steal sensitive personal data, financial details, and confidential login credentials from the public. This is not an isolated incident; the Registry has issued several similar warnings since 2023 against various deceptive domains created to clone the Supreme Court's website.
How to Identify the Fake Website
The primary red flag is the website's address, or URL. The official, genuine website of the Supreme Court of India uses the domain 'sci.gov.in'. The impersonator site uses a similar-looking but incorrect domain: 'scigovinjudicial.com'. Scammers often create domains that look plausible by adding extra words or using different endings like '.com' or '.org' instead of the official '.gov.in' or '.nic.in' which are reserved for government bodies in India. The Registry advises everyone to always verify a URL's authenticity before clicking. A simple and effective method is to hover your mouse cursor over any link to see the full web address before you click on it.
Why Scammers Create These Fake Sites
The motive behind these phishing attacks is data and financial theft. By creating a sense of legitimacy and urgency, scammers trick people into willingly providing valuable information. This can include personal details like your name, address, and phone number, or confidential credentials such as usernames and passwords for various online accounts. The ultimate goal for these criminals is often to gain access to your bank accounts, credit cards, or other financial platforms to commit fraud. The Supreme Court's notice explicitly warns that divulging any information on these fake sites could directly facilitate data theft by these perpetrators.
What to Do if You Encounter the Fake Site
If you receive a suspicious email, SMS, or WhatsApp message with a link claiming to be from the Supreme Court, do not click on it. The court has clarified that it never asks for personal information, financial details, or other confidential data through such means. If you have already visited the fraudulent site and fear you may have entered your details, the Registry advises taking immediate action. You should change the passwords for all your online accounts, especially for banking and email. Furthermore, you must contact your bank and credit card companies immediately to report any potential unauthorised access and monitor your accounts for suspicious activity.
Protecting Yourself from Online Scams
This incident serves as a critical reminder for online vigilance. To stay safe, always access official government services by typing the official website address directly into your browser or by using the directories on the National Portal of India (india.gov.in). Be wary of any unsolicited communication that creates a sense of urgency or asks for sensitive information. For added security, enable two_factor authentication (2FA) on all your important online accounts. If you encounter a phishing attempt or become a victim of a cybercrime, you can report it to India's National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at 'cybercrime.gov.in' or call the national helpline number 1930.
