Fact Check: Beware! WhatsApp link about free mobile recharge is hoax
A message promising a three months free recharge to prepaid subscribers is widely being shared on WhatsApp.
By Tejal Sinha Published on 8 Jan 2022 9:15 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A message promising a three months free recharge to prepaid subscribers is widely being shared on WhatsApp.
People claim that free recharge is to celebrate Harnaaz Sandhu's crowning glory.
The message asks users to forward the message to others to avail the offer.
Fact Check
The viral message is a hoax.
NewsMeter found that the message did not name any telecom service provider.
When we clicked on the link, it directed us to an unauthorized page. The page further read 'Can I recharge for free? Click below to view', and asked us to click on a green button which read 'Check Now'.
We then noticed that many users had commented stating they received their free recharge. However, the time and the name of their comments were the same every time we refreshed the page.
On clicking 'Check Now', the page further read, 'Thanks, check it out!'. We further noticed that the top of the page had a hashtag of the Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. Hyderabad was included as one of the locations for free recharge.
After a couple of seconds, the page automatically asked us to enter the mobile number to get the three months free recharge.
The page further read 'Anyone in your area Telangana can recharge for free! Please enter your mobile number below.'
Like any other hoax forwards, this link also asked us to forward this to five groups on WhatsApp or 10 friends.
The team finally reached out to an Airtel store in Hyderabad and a Jio executive. They said no free recharges are being given
NewsMeter had also earlier debunked a similar viral message claiming to provide free recharge.
It is therefore evident that the viral claim is a hoax. No such recharge is being given to users.
