Tons of fake messages keep circulating on WhatsApp every day, trying to trick users into some kind of scam or trying to install malware and spyware on their devices. A similar kind of message has been circulating on WhatsApp lately claiming that the Government of India is offering three months of free internet access to the people in the country for online education of their children. Well, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India has made a tweet alerting users that the Indian government hasn’t announced any such free internet scheme and the message circulating on WhatsApp is fake.
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WhatsApp fake message alert: Indian government is not offering three months of free internet access
As soon as we came across the tweet from Press Information Bureau, we did some digging into the matter, and here is what we have learned. As mentioned earlier, the fake message claims that the Government of India is offering three months of free internet access for the online education of children. It says that the offer is valid for the subscribers of Airtel, Jio, and Vi networks. The message also claims that the offer is limited till June 29th, 2021, and urges users to hurry up and grab the opportunity.
The fake message asks users to click on the link in the message to claim the offer. Once you click on the link, you will be taken to a fake website that has an image of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The website asks you to select your mobile network operator (Airtel, Jio, or Vodafone Idea) to claim three months of free internet access. Once you select your network operator, you will be asked to enter your mobile number, your state, and choose the desired Internet plan.
Upon entering those details, the website will show you a banner of Mukesh Ambani and it will ask you to share the advertisement of Jio to 10 people through WhatsApp to claim the offer. Now you will be taken to another page, which will ask you to click the “Confirm Registration” button. Once you click the button, you will be presented with a download link to some kind of software (AdBlock Shield Browser Extension in our case). And that is about it. You will never get three months of free internet access.
The fake message and the spam website have just stolen your mobile number. And for all we know, the software that the fake website was asking us to download was some kind of malware, spyware, or ransomware. If you receive such a message on WhatsApp, please do not click on the link in the message or forward the message to anyone else. It is a scam.
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