Fact Check: Beware! PhonePe is not providing any cashback offer

https://scratch-coupons.xyz/

Fact Check

The viral message is a hoax.

NewsMeter clicked on the link which led us to an unauthorized website. It was not the official website of PhonePe.

The text on the website read, "Unlimited Cashback, scratch and win unlimited cashback upto Rs 1,998."

The text on the bottom of the page read, "Next step: Click send money to directly send reward amount to your bank account."

We noticed that though the website mentioned 'scratch and win', there was no such place for the user to scratch. As soon as we clicked the link, the website said 'You have won Rs. 782'.

On performing a keyword search, the team found a report published on PhonePe's website on 21 August 2020. It said that these cashback links are hoax which will only lead users to lose their money.

"Fraudsters' are luring users with the promise of winning rewards, through Cashback offers and Scratch cards. Some may send you fake links with offers or you may even see Cashback-related posts on fake social media pages. These links and social media pages are cleverly designed to resemble PhonePe's official Website and logo to trick you into believing that the offer is genuine. Some scamsters may also call you and ask you to complete a few steps to receive the Cashback on the PhonePe app by accepting a payment link which appears on your notifications/bell icon," it said.

The report further explained how PhonePe cashback works.

The team then found a tweet by Thane City police from 5 April 2021. The tweet was about PhonePe cashback scam and the police had requested users not to click on such links that are being forwarded.

Hence, the viral message is a hoax as PhonePe is not providing any cashback offers.