The Ludhiana police have issued an advisory on messages being sent by miscreants to people, asking them to click on a link to claim money under the ‘Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana of the state government. They have urged people to stay alert and do not click on any such suspicious links.
Cyber criminals are sending messages to the random people, asking them to click on a particular link. Clicking on the same may compromise financial apps or personal banking details. Fraudsters are sending messages to people while claiming that government funds will be transferred to their accounts within 24 hours.
The police have shared a video message on its official Facebook page and Instagram handle to make people aware about the fraud and precautions needed.
In the video, a police official, Amarinder Singh, exposes the entire fraud. He explains in simple terms how the cunning digital predators can rob people of their life’s savings through a single link. Cyber ??experts have revealed that an attractive text message is sent to people through WhatsApp, stating that their funds have been approved under the scheme, follow steps below to receive the money directly into your accounts within 24 hours. The Commissionerate Police issued a major warning by uploading the video on social media.
“As soon as someone, out of curiosity or greed, clicks on the link, a fake page appears, resembling the real government website. Under the guise of filling out a form, highly confidential information such as bank account details, passwords or OTP is requested. When the user submits the form, funds in the account disappear. The link may also contains APK files or screen-mirroring software that can hack mobile devices. The police have urged people not to click on any unknown link without verifying the same,” shares the police official in the awareness video.
Cyber experts said the government never distributes money by sending such suspicious links.
Cyber ??Cell in-charge inspector Satbir Singh had given strict instructions to the public that to verify the authenticity of any government scheme, visit only its official website. Do not share any personal information or OTP related to bank account, ATM or Aadhaar card with anyone. If unfortunately you become a victim of such a fraud, without any delay immediately call the cyber helpline number 1930 and register your complaint.
How to avail benefits of scheme
To avail benefits, applicants should visit Sewa Kendras and anganwadi centres with Aadhaar card, Punjab Voter ID card, bank passbook and, if applicable, a caste certificate. Women beneficiaries above 18 years of age would receive a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month while those from the Scheduled Caste category would receive Rs 1,500 per month. The funds will be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Women already receiving social security pensions will also be eligible under the scheme. The state government has earmarked Rs 9,300 crore for the scheme in the Budget.
