MBMC tax site hacked into, fraudulent transactions done

The main Property Tax site of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) was hacked into by breaking the password of the assistant civic chief’s (ACC) computer. Over 12 fraudulent transactions were done, wherein the tax figures were altered. The possibility of the incident being an inside job is being investigated. A police case against unknown persons has been registered. The Cyber Crime Cell, Thane has taken over the case.

Swati Deshpande, ACC, attended an MBMC meeting on Friday and on switching on her computer, realised that the total of the Property Tax in her area was not matching with the actual figures. She soon understood that her computer had been hacked into, and the password of her account was broken, said Ms Deshpande in her complaint to the Bhayander police station.

Ms Deshpande found that triple tax penalties of six properties, including two buildings in Bhayander and six individual structures in Uttan, a coastal city, were illegally altered, or rolled back. “I soon realised that my computer was hacked and figures altered. And it looks like an insider job,” the official said.

“We have registered a case under cheating and also under the Information Technology Act 2000 against unknown persons and are investigating, with the Cyber Crime Cell, Thane taking over the case. We have got a strong clue and would be arresting the culprits within the next 24 hours,” said PI Anil Kadam. He also did not rule out an insider job.

According to MBMC sources, only two personnel of the administration have access to the Computer Facilitation Centre of the MBMC.