Ordinary citizens waiting in anticipation of financial assistance through government welfare schemes are currently being targeted on a massive scale by cyber criminals. In this dangerous racket, the prestigious names, photographs, and sophisticated deepfake videos of the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and various state Chief Ministers are being brazenly exploited. Deceptive fraudulent advertisements are widely circulated across major social media platforms, creating a false impression among the public that they are about to receive substantial monetary funds under a special government initiative. Once individuals fall into this well-laid trap, money is continuously extorted from them under the pretexts of taxes, registration fees, and processing charges. In numerous instances, fraudsters cunningly trick victims into entering their UPI PINs, thereby draining their bank accounts within minutes.
Taking serious note of these escalating and systematic fraudulent activities, the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit operating under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has released a detailed advisory. This official warning strongly cautions all citizens to remain extremely vigilant regarding government scheme advertisements appearing on social media, suspicious unknown phone calls, and unsolicited online payment requests. This evolving criminal tactic poses a severe threat to the financial security of individuals, prompting administrative authorities to continuously raise public awareness.
The Trap of Fake Ads on Facebook and Instagram
Cyber criminals primarily rely on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to spread their illicit operations. Sponsored fake advertisements are run on these platforms, utilizing morphed photographs and deepfake videos featuring the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and different state Chief Ministers. These forged videos are meticulously crafted to create a convincing illusion that high-ranking constitutional authorities themselves are personally announcing welfare schemes.
These advertisements make false and tempting promises that financial aid will be credited directly to the bank accounts of needy citizens. Fraudsters often display mobile numbers or WhatsApp numbers within these ads for contact purposes, or they redirect victims to fraudulent external websites. On these bogus portals, users are asked to submit their personal documents and sensitive banking details under the guise of claiming scheme benefits. Once a citizen falls completely for this elaborate deception, the fraudsters contact them directly and initiate demands for money under the pretext of facilitating government aid.
Repeated Extortion Under the Guise of Taxes and Registration Fees
The next and most damaging phase of this fraud scheme involves extorting money from victims through various pretexts. Once a person gets entangled with these fraudsters, the cyber criminals frighten or convince them that certain preliminary formalities must be completed before the government aid amount can be transferred to their bank account. These formalities typically include depositing a specific sum upfront as taxes, processing fees, registration charges, or verification fees.
The ordinary citizen tends to believe that depositing a nominal fee will unlock massive financial benefits from a government scheme. Driven by this optimistic hope and temptation, victims end up transferring their hard-earned money. However, the criminals do not stop there; upon receiving the funds, they fabricate new technical excuses or invent new fees and demand money all over again. In this manner, a single helpless individual is repeatedly fleeced under multiple pretexts, while the entire government assistance drama is actually nothing more than a calculated cyber crime.
The New Deception of Scratch Cards and Spin-and-Win Offers
Cyber fraudsters are not restricting themselves solely to government schemes, but are continuously inventing new methods and lucrative temptations to deceive people. Several fraudulent advertisements feature alluring offers like scratch cards and spin-and-win games, promising free cashbacks or major prizes. Victims are led to believe that they have won a lucky draw or competition, and to claim the prize money instantly, they are instructed to navigate to a payment application and complete a few simple steps.
During this prescribed procedure, fraudsters cleverly dispatch a UPI collect request to the user and prompt them to approve it, or directly instruct them to enter their UPI PIN. The common citizen assumes they are receiving prize money into their account, but in reality, they are granting authorization to send money out of their own bank account. The moment the victim enters their UPI PIN, funds are instantly deducted from their bank account and transferred directly to the accounts of the criminals.
Exercise Extreme Caution Regarding Calls and Messages From +92 Numbers
The advisory issued by the Home Ministry explicitly urges citizens to exercise deep caution regarding incoming phone calls and WhatsApp messages originating from the Pakistani country code +92. In several alarming instances of this nature, fraudsters call from abroad to trick unsuspecting individuals into believing they have been selected to receive financial assistance under a specific government scheme. Subsequently, pressure is applied to deposit fees or share confidential personal information in order to claim those funds.
Although the mere presence of a +92 prefix does not automatically confirm every call as a proven fraud case, it remains imperative for every citizen to stay highly vigilant whenever an unknown entity demands money or bank details in the name of a government scheme. Ignoring such unsolicited communications from international numbers is the wisest course of action, as criminals frequently deploy such technical loopholes to conceal their true identities.
