AHMEDABAD: Just ahead of admissions to National Institute of Design’s (NID) Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru campuses, the institute is on alert due to a phishing or cloned website. Authorities have approached the city cybercrime cell for action and to get the website blocked.
According to senior NID officials, authorities received emails that another website, claiming to be linked to the institute’s 2024 admissions, was active. “We found the information to be true. The website uses the ‘NID’ acronym, and has previous years’ papers, notifications and fee structure to deceive applicants. The website asks for applicants’ details such as phone number and email address,” a senior official said. “Applicants are asked to be cautious about divulging details on similar-seeming websites.”
The official added that they approached the cybercrime cell with an application after finding about the website and the information it was collecting. Ajit Rajian, DCP (cybercrime), told TOI that they have received the details, and the source of the said website is currently being investigated.
Sources privy to the development said the website intends to gather details of applicants for coaching classes or may add payment links to cheat them. “The details of hundreds of potential students have value, and a thorough probe is needed to find those behind this website,” an official said. The episode has prompted NID to put up a disclaimer on its official website which states, ‘The ONLY official website of NID, Ahmedabad is https://nid.edu. Any website referring to NID with “.org” OR “org.in” are fake websites. Applications are invited online ONLY at https://admissions.nid.edu. Applicants are advised to carefully verify this URL before proceeding to online submission of their applications.’
Cyber security experts said that while a few educational institutes in the city and in Gandhinagar have faced cyber attacks, the premier design institute is the first to face a clone website. “The best strategy is to create awareness among users and prevent possible fraud before the website can be taken down,” said a city-based cybercrime expert.
According to senior NID officials, authorities received emails that another website, claiming to be linked to the institute’s 2024 admissions, was active. “We found the information to be true. The website uses the ‘NID’ acronym, and has previous years’ papers, notifications and fee structure to deceive applicants. The website asks for applicants’ details such as phone number and email address,” a senior official said. “Applicants are asked to be cautious about divulging details on similar-seeming websites.”
The official added that they approached the cybercrime cell with an application after finding about the website and the information it was collecting. Ajit Rajian, DCP (cybercrime), told TOI that they have received the details, and the source of the said website is currently being investigated.
Sources privy to the development said the website intends to gather details of applicants for coaching classes or may add payment links to cheat them. “The details of hundreds of potential students have value, and a thorough probe is needed to find those behind this website,” an official said. The episode has prompted NID to put up a disclaimer on its official website which states, ‘The ONLY official website of NID, Ahmedabad is https://nid.edu. Any website referring to NID with “.org” OR “org.in” are fake websites. Applications are invited online ONLY at https://admissions.nid.edu. Applicants are advised to carefully verify this URL before proceeding to online submission of their applications.’
Cyber security experts said that while a few educational institutes in the city and in Gandhinagar have faced cyber attacks, the premier design institute is the first to face a clone website. “The best strategy is to create awareness among users and prevent possible fraud before the website can be taken down,” said a city-based cybercrime expert.
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