WhatsApp Fake Message Claims Free Internet Access From Government for 3 Months 6z4733 PIB Flags as Fraud

Press Information Bureau (PIB) has posted a short video on Twitter to detail the fake message and asked s to beware of the fraud. 722348

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 3 June 2021 18:05 IST

WhatsApp Fake Message Claims Free Internet Access From Government for 3 Months, PIB Flags as Fraud

Photo Credit: Reuters 3v6d2p

WhatsApp s are fraudulently asked to give their details for free Internet access

Highlights

WhatsApp message has been flagged fake by PIB
The message talks about free Internet access by the government
WhatsApp message carries a malicious link that could steal data

ment

A fake WhatsApp message is in circulation that claims the government is offering free Internet access to 100 million s for three months. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has flagged the message as fraud and confirmed that no such announcement has been made by the government. The message also carries a link that could be used maliciously to trick s and steal their personal data. s are advised to not pay attention to any such messages and inform their s about the scam.

PIB tweeted the details about the fake Vodafone Idea) s until June 29. It also includes a fraudulent link that takes to a website asking personal details ers.

धोखाधड़ी से सावधान!#WhatsApp मैसेज में दावा किया गया है कि भारत सरकार 3 महीने के लिए 100 मिलियन उपयोगकर्ताओं को मुफ्त इंटरनेट सुविधा प्रदान कर रही है।#PIBFactCheck: यह दावा व लिंक #फ़र्ज़ी है। भारत सरकार द्वारा ऐसी कोई घोषणा नहीं की गयी है। ऐसे फ़र्ज़ी वेबसाइट से सतर्क रहें। pic.twitter.com/08iUNUbEOM
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 1, 2021

By giving details on any such websites may risk your personal data. The government has also advised s to not open suspicious links such as the one available in the message shown in the PIB video as those could allow fraudsters to maliciously harm s.

WhatsApp Is Making It Easier and Faster for Businesses to Communicate

This is notably not the first time when a fake message has been in circulation through WhatsApp. In April, a message claiming to bring red ticks to indicate government's control on the app.

WhatsApp has features including the ‘forwarded many times' label to restrict circulation of fake messages on its platform to some extent. The Facebook-owned company also provided tips about how its s could prevent the spread of rumours and fake news. However, despite those moves, several s are often being preyed upon by bad actors spreading fake information.

Does WhatsApp's new spell the end for your privacy? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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