Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has been resorting to social media platforms for crucial announcements. Rather than issuing an official notice, the institute posted a potential scam warning on their official X handle on Monday, June 3.
The post alerted students about a fake website allegedly impersonating the IIT-B. This website is reportedly tricking people by asking for ideas for a hackathon and then charging them participation fees, as claimed by IIT-B in its X post.
When asked about the reason for using only social media to bring this matter to attention, an IIT-B spokesperson, who didn’t want to be named, told The Free Press Journal (FPJ), "We are still investigating the matter, but we wanted to alert everyone about this scam immediately to prevent others from falling prey to it. This warning is not just for IIT Bombay students but for anyone interested in hackathon events."
A hackathon is an event where students create and develop software projects. Often referred to as the "E-Cell IIT Bombay Hackathon" or similar names, it is an annual event organised by the Entrepreneurship Cell of IIT-B. Students must be over 18 years old to participate in this event. According to the spokesperson, the institute generally does not charge any fees for participation. Usually, this event is announced on the official website of the institute, through newsletters, and via emails.
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Earlier this month, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) also used their official social media platforms (X and Instagram) to announce a special placement event for PG students. IIT-M chose not to issue an official notification and relied solely on social media.
Speaking to the FPJ, a member of the placement cell at IIT-M, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, "We decided to use only social media because it allows us to reach a large audience quickly."
Coming back to the situation at IIT-B, the institute became aware of the scam after students complained to the institute about the website.
The spokesperson informed the FPJ that the institute has not yet filed an official complaint with the cybercrime authorities but intends to do so. The spokesperson declined to disclose the name of the fraudulent website, stating, "We are taking steps to report this scam and cannot reveal these details yet."
The institute is currently investigating the issue.
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