Fact Check: Modi govt announces Rs 5,000 gift for citizens? No, this is a UPI payment scam
Social media posts claiming that the government is giving Rs 5,000 to everyone, on the account of prime minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, are going viral on social media.
By K Sherly Sharon
Claim:The government is giving a free gift of Rs 5,000 to everyone, on the account of PM Modi’s birthday.
Fact:The claim is false. The viral posts are clickbait leading to a UPI payments scam.
Hyderabad: A post circulating on social media claims that the government is sending a gift of Rs 5,000 to everyone’s accounts.
The video in the post features a picture of prime minister Narendra Modi, the PhonePe app logo and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) symbol. The text on the video reads, “Click on the flower and get a gift of Rs 5,000 from the government... Click below to deposit the money in your account.” (Translated from Telugu) (Archive)
Posts making similar claims in Kannada, Bengali and Odia languages were also found.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. This is a UPI Money Scam.
Clicking on the link posted on the viral Facebook post led us to a website. The website link shows ‘ispot.cc’ as the domain, which is strange and unusual. (Archived version of the website)
The website shows the images of PM Modi, Union Minister and BJP President Prakash Nadda, the Government emblem, the BJP symbol, along with the logo of ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’.
It also shows logos of UPI apps like PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM. It also displays a message saying ‘Your Balance ₹686’.
The text on the website reads. “Free gift of ₹5000 to everyone from PM Modi. On the occasion of Modi’s birthday, the free gifts can be availed only today. Click below to send money to your account. Send money to your account”
There are no news reports or trustworthy social media posts stating that a free gift of Rs 5,000 can be availed on the occasion of PM Modi’s birthday. However, PM Modi’s date of birth is September 17, 1950, which is 3 months from the day the report is being written.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) website does not show any notifications or press releases regarding a free gift on the account of the PM’s birthday. There is no news coverage regarding the same.
What is a deep link?
Clicking the button on the website automatically opened the PhonePe app, with a pre-filled UPI payment request.
A screen appeared showing a request to pay Rs 686 to an unknown UPI ID. On tapping the ‘Pay ₹686’ button, the app prompted for the UPI PIN. This shows that this action would authorise a payment from the bank account to the scammer’s account.
The website uses a deep link, a type of link that directs users to a specific location within an app, to open PhonePe with pre-filled details to trick users into approving the transaction.
How to keep safe from UPI scams?
This claim is about a scam where, instead of receiving money, it will be sent to the scammer’s account. The viral Facebook post is a clickbait which leads you to a scam website that tries to dupe users into sending them money through UPI.
Before trusting any website, check the URL carefully, avoid domains that look suspicious or unusual. Look for HTTPS security, spelling errors, and fake logos.
It is not required to enter the UPI PIN to receive money. If a link opens the UPI app and shows a payment screen, it’s a payment scam. Close the app immediately.
In case you have been a victim of a UPI payments scam, inform your bank immediately. Report the fraud to the local police station and register a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal, either on the phone (Dial 1930 for the helpline) or via their website.
We advise our readers not to click on any posts on social media claiming to send money. In the past, NewsMeter debunked payment scams, and you can read the report here.
NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false. The viral posts are clickbait, leading to a website usinga deep link-based UPI Money Scam.
