Deepavali gift links: Hyderabad police warn of fake Rs 1,000 Paytm offer as TGCSB flags Rs 8,000 ‘PM gift’ message

Fraudsters are pushing fake Deepavali gift links on WhatsApp in Telangana, and the police have asked people not to open them. On Saturday, 7 November, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar warned about a message claiming that Paytm is handing everyone Rs 1,000 for the festival.

The forward asks the reader to tap a link and collect the money at once. A second message usually follows it, written as if by someone who doubted the offer and then got paid, so that the first one looks believable. Sajjanar said the links can open fake websites set up to capture bank details, ATM PINs, OTPs and passwords, and that the stolen details are then used to cheat the account holder.

A second fake, in the Prime Minister’s name

At the end of October the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) flagged another forward, which uses Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name and promises an “Rs 8,000 Diwali cash benefit” from the Centre. TGCSB Director Shikha Goel said the forward was dressed up as an official government scheme. Its link can lead to pages asking for Aadhaar and bank account numbers, set off UPI payments the user never approved, or put harmful software on the phone, the bureau said.

Both warnings carry the same advice. Do not believe, open or forward such messages. Do not type an OTP, UPI PIN, ATM PIN or password on any site reached through a forward, and do not pay a fee to receive a gift. A Paytm offer can be checked on the company’s own website or app, and a government benefit on an official government website.

If you have already clicked

Stop at that page and enter nothing more, the bureau said, and then secure the bank account and the phone. If money has already gone, call the bank first and report the fraud on the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.

TGCSB has asked people to apply a three-step habit before tapping a link, sharing personal details or sending money online: pause, think and verify. Hyderabad police said the same complaint routes apply to the Paytm message.