MMC Files Cyber Complaint Over Fake Maharashtra Doctors Registration Website
The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) in Mumbai has lodged a complaint with the cyber police after discovering a fraudulent website mimicking its official doctors' registration portal. The fake website puts over 2.1 lakh registered doctors and 1.5 lakh medical practitioners seeking registration renewals in the state at risk of potential financial fraud and credential theft.
The fraudulent portal, operating under the domain name maharashtramedicalcouncile.in, closely resembles the council’s official website, maharashtramedicalcouncil.org.in. The only visible difference is an additional letter "e" at the end of "council" in the domain name.
The MMC is a quasi-judicial autonomous body under the state’s medical education and drugs department. It is responsible for registering allopathic doctors, approving accredited medical conferences, and examining complaints against practitioners in Maharashtra.
According to MMC registrar Rakesh Waghmare, the council lodged an official complaint with the cyber police on Sunday. Authorities are expected to investigate who created the fraudulent site and whether any sensitive user data has been compromised.
The issue came to light after medical practitioners noticed the discrepancy. One doctor, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that he repeatedly tried to log in to the fake website before noticing the extra "e" in the address.
While the doctor did not make any payments, he expressed concern that the fake portal might have harvested login credentials and personal details. He noted that almost every official MMC service, including registrations, renewals, and updating personal information, requires online payments and the submission of sensitive personal data.
The fake website currently redirects users to the genuine Know Your Doctor (KYD) portal, which patients use to verify the credentials of registered practitioners.
MMC president and administrator Dr. Vinky Rughwani stated that the council has not received any reports of financial fraud linked to the fake domain. He clarified that the site is a fake landing page that does not lead users further.
The MMC first became aware of the fraudulent website eight days prior to filing the complaint and issued a warning on its official portal the same day.
