PIB Fact Check in its post on X (formerly Twitter) has confirmed that the “claim is fake” and “Government of India is running no such scheme. The fact check platform also added that “This is an attempt to defraud”.
What does the message claims
According to the image posted by PIB Fact Check, the WhatsApp message claims to offer 3 months of free mobile recharge as a part of the government’s scheme.The message also contains a link which we assume will redirect to some fraudulent website in order to gain access to users‘ data.
The WhatsApp message also tries to create a sense of urgency among users with the “Last day” mentioned in it.
How this scam works
PIB Fact Check hasn’t clarified how exactly this scam works. But based on the history and other similar scams, the link will open a website controlled by scammers. This will then trick users into entering banking information or making certain payment to claim the offer.
Once users enter the details, the scammers get hold of the account details and other necessary information which can lead to banking fraud.
What users should do right now
It is best to avoid such messages you receive on WhatsApp or via SMS or any other platform. Try to keep an eye out for claims, and schemes that feel too good to be true. Also, do not forward such messages to more users.
Reporting fraudulent messages
WhatsApp has a dedicated Report feature that users can use to report such accounts and messages to WhatsApp.
Government of India has also introduced Chakshu initiative under Sanchar Sathi portal to curb scams on mobile phones and social media platforms. The portal enables users to report fraud calls and messages like lottery offers, job scams, phone number scams, etc. It is advisable to report such messages on Chakshu portal so that it can help the government to curb these scams.
