Another fake WhatsApp message is circulating on the platform these days. The new fake WhatsApp message going viral claims that three biggest telecom operators of India – Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi (Vodafone-Idea) – are offering free internet for three-months. The message claims, this is an initiative from the government of India and the idea is to offer three-months free internet for the online education of children. Note: This WhatsApp message is fake and you shouldn’t believe it.
The fake WhatsApp message includes a link, refrain from clicking on this, which is basically a trick to steal your personal details as well as hard earned money. In fact, any unverified WhatsApp message that comes with a suspicious/ unofficial link must be avoided. You must delete such messages right away. This is one of the easiest ways hackers use to dupe users and affect their devices as well as steal their personal details.
The fake WhatsApp message also pushes users to pick the offer quickly as it’s valid only till June 29. Well, these are ways hackers use to tempt users to fall for such scams. Press Information Bureau (PIB) is also warning users to not fall for such fake WhatsApp messages or scams. Check out the tweet by PIBFactCheck:
धोखाधड़ी से सावधान!#WhatsApp मैसेज में दावा किया गया है कि भारत सरकार 3 महीने के लिए 100 मिलियन उपयोगकर्ताओं को मुफ्त इंटरनेट सुविधा प्रदान कर रही है।#PIBFactCheck: यह दावा व लिंक #फ़र्ज़ी है। भारत सरकार द्वारा ऐसी कोई घोषणा नहीं की गयी है। ऐसे फ़र्ज़ी वेबसाइट से सतर्क रहें। pic.twitter.com/08iUNUbEOM
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 1, 2021
Over the past few months, online scams on WhatsApp are increasing at a rapid pace. At this time, it gets crucial for users to be careful and be smart at spotting these fake WhatsApp messages. In most cases, fake messages / scams will try to tempt users with free offerings. In this case, hackers lured users with free internet from the biggest telcos of the country.
Tips to spot fake WhatsApp message
-Any forwarded WhatsApp message that claims free service is bound to be fake.
-WhatsApp message with unverified link to a suspicious website should be avoid. Never click on unofficial links.
-Check for grammatical errors. An official message or announcement will never contain grammar/spelling issues.
-Never believe a forwarded WhatsApp messages, in most scenarios they turn out to be fake. You must also never forward such messages to others, because you never know your contacts might fall for these messages.
