Black Hat SEO Attacks Target Indian Government Sites

Kerala

Black Hat SEO Attacks Surge, Exploiting Indian Government Websites

An elaborate campaign of Black Hat SEO attacks has infected over 150 Indian government sites, including financial institutions. This deceptive operation reroutes users to gambling sites offering games like rummy and misleading ‘investment’ opportunities. The attacks exploit vulnerabilities in government (.gov.in) and educational (.ac.in) domains to lure users into scam portals.

Manipulation of Trusted Domains

Cyber attackers have integrated malicious JavaScript code into vulnerable government portals, including several state websites. This code captures traffic from search engines like Google, redirecting it to gambling sites such as indorummy[.]net and teenpattionline[.]game. Desktop users encounter error messages to evade detection, while mobile users are stealthily redirected.

For instance, a compromised page on a Kerala government website used hidden keywords like “instant personal loans” and “low-interest credit cards” to mislead users searching for financial services. These pages channel users to gambling platforms disguised as ‘investment opportunities’.

Evasive Techniques in Black Hat SEO Manipulation in India

These Black Hat SEO attacks employ complex techniques to stay under the radar. Referrer header manipulation affects only search engine traffic. Mobile users are targeted distinctly, while desktop visitors face 404 errors to conceal suspicious activity.

Compromised pages are stuffed with financial terms—like “PPF account” and “fixed deposit rates”—to boost search rankings. The domains, hidden behind Cloudflare’s CDN and AWS infrastructure, are difficult to identify and remove. Additionally, sites like rummydeity[.]cc and crickexlive[.]vip propagate through Cloudflare’s IP range, further obscuring their traces.

Impact on Users Amid Cyber Attacks on Indian Government Websites

The digital scam capitalizes on India’s growing online gambling scene. It entices users with fake “referral bonuses” and “VIP tiers” offering high returns. Victims are coaxed into depositing funds to unlock ‘earnings’, typical of Ponzi schemes.

CloudSEK’s investigation revealed that indorummy[.]net harbors SMS phishing scripts and fake chatbots that harvest financial information. Following exposure on LinkedIn and X, social media complaints escalated. Users reported losses between ₹50,000 and ₹2 lakh due to blocked withdrawal requests demanding further deposits.

Response and Strategies Against Black Hat SEO Attacks

Despite alerts to the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) and Google’s Web Risk team, swift takedowns remain challenging due to sprawl of spoofed domains. Cleaning up each spam page ensures legitimate content remains unaffected.

Black Hat SEO manipulation in India parallels a 2024 Malaysian case linking government websites to casino platforms, indicating global cyber risks. Experts urge audits of website codes for unauthorized scripts, monitor search rankings for odd keyword patterns, and enforce rigorous file-upload protocols on CMS.

Google has removed over 2,300 malicious pages since January 2025, yet transient domains and encrypted connections pose challenges. With annual financial losses topping ₹200 crore, robust defense strategies in India’s digital governance infrastructure are critical.