India has thousands of fake websites churning out millions of counterfeit KYC documents: study

India’s vast cyber network is replete with thousands of fake domains that generate millions of counterfeit Aadhar, PAN cards and birth certificates, causing a massive identity crisis, an investigation by a Bengaluru-based threat intelligence company has found.

According to the study by CloudSEK, an AI-based cybersecurity firm, PrintSteal, a large-scale KYC fraud network, with over 1,800 fake domain names, has used cyber cafes and government-backed Common Service Centres (CSCs) to generate over 167,000 counterfeit KYC documents, and over Rs40 lakh in service charges.

CloudSEK has found that cyber cafes and CSCs, knowingly or unknowingly, help the fraudsters by allowing visitors to download an Aadhaar card or update PAN details, using the sophisticated cybercrime network that mass-produces fake KYC documents.

Also, according to CloudSEK, some local mobile shops and cyber cafes even act as middlemen to trap people seeking genuine KYC services.

PrintSteal, which has been operating since 2021, targets Common Service Centres that provide a range of services related to government and local bodies, often involving the use of sensitve KYC documents.

According to CloudSEK, the fraud is pushed through 2,727 registered operators, using local mobile shops and cyber cafes as their hubs.

Fraudsters set up fake portals that mimic government services, and mass produce counterfeit KYC documents, including Aadhar, PAN and birth certificates using ready ready-to-use templates.

These documents even include QR codes that link these documents to fradulent verification sites.

The network uses Telegram groups and illicit APIs and often change domains to evade detection.

The study puts the number of scam websites in operation at over 600 with Bihar hosting 55.9 per cent of the total and UP having a share of 22.6 per cent. Between the two states an over 156,000 birth certificates were found to have been issued. 

If left unchecked, these fake documents could pose severe security and financial risks to the country, warn experts.