News
Fake EC website in operation; probe by police cybercrime unit
View(s):- Computer Emergency Response Team traces website to US-based Google server
By Ishu Bandara
The Election Commission is to seek the assistance of the police cybercrimes unit to investigate a fake (phishing) website similar to the Election Commission seeking personal information of Sri Lankans.
The website has already been traced by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and it is hosted by a U.S.-based Google server.
Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake told the Sunday Times they were due to send a request to the police cybercrimes division last night to obtain a court order to proceed with the investigation into the website’s creator by seeking information from Google.
CERT detected the website on Friday night. The fake website is sending links to the public via WhatsApp, X, and similar messaging platforms, claiming that the Election Commission is recruiting persons for election purposes. The site collects personal information such as full names, dates of birth, and contact numbers.
CERT’s Senior Information Engineer Charuka Damunupola told the Sunday Times that the phishing site used the Sri Lankan Government emblem and the name of the Election Commission to create this fake news.
He said the Election Commission has already requested CERT to investigate the website, and they are working to take down the domain. However, as CERT is not a law enforcement authority, its role is limited to the technical aspect, and it cannot remove the website directly.
Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, worms, adware, or ransomware.
“We are in the process of removing the website. We’ve already submitted the request, but since the website is hosted in America, and the Election Commission needs to file a formal complaint, it will take some time,” Mr. Damunupola said.
He also noted that the website’s creation in America did not necessarily mean the owners were based there. They could be anywhere in the world.
The fake website was still operational as of last night. To identify the person behind this, the cybercrime investigation division will need to obtain a court order to compel Google to reveal the website owner’s details, he said.
He said CERT advised the people to be cautious and not respond to such requests for personal information, especially if asked for second verification, and to contact the Election Commission directly in such cases.
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