Bengaluru — A government portal designed to support apprenticeships in India has become the latest target of cybercriminals. Hackers reportedly accessed the site and changed the bank details of several registered candidates, redirecting their stipend payments into unauthorized accounts.
The breach took place on the apprenticeshipindia.gov.in website, which is managed by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The platform is used by students and job seekers to apply for apprenticeship programs and receive government-backed financial support. Employers also use the site to onboard trainees and apply for partial stipend reimbursements under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS).
The issue came to light after a Bengaluru-based training institute, Cadmaxx Solution Education Trust, filed a complaint with the cybercrime police. According to Arun Kumar D, the organization’s CEO and director, the hacking activity spanned several months between January 3 and July 4, during which the attackers managed to manipulate banking information for six enrolled candidates.
Once the fraudulent bank account numbers were entered into the portal, the stipend funds were transferred to accounts held with HDFC Bank, State Bank of India, Axis Bank, and NSDL Payments Bank. The total amount diverted was ₹1,46,073, according to the complaint.
The cybercrime division in West Bengaluru registered an official case on July 26. Police have charged the unidentified perpetrators under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, including those related to data tampering, unauthorized system access, and identity theft.
A senior officer involved in the case said investigators are working to trace the flow of funds by gathering account details from the banks involved. They are also reviewing server logs and IP addresses to understand how the portal was accessed whether it was through an external cyberattack or due to internal misuse.
Authorities mentioned that, if necessary, the matter will be escalated to CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), which handles major cybersecurity incidents at the national level.
This incident raises serious concerns about the protection of financial and personal data on public service websites, especially those used by students and job seekers. It also highlights the growing trend of hackers targeting official government platforms to exploit funding systems.