Fake ₹8,000 Diwali bonus WhatsApp message: PIB and police warn
PIB Fact Check says the WhatsApp message offering a ₹8,000 Diwali bonus in the PM's name is fake. How the scam works and what to do if you clicked.
A WhatsApp message says the Prime Minister has approved a ₹8,000 cash gift or bonus for every Indian for Diwali, and asks you to click a link to claim it. The message is fake. The government has not announced any such payment.
What officials have said
PIB Fact Check, the government's fact-checking unit, posted a scam alert on 2 November 2026. It said a fraudulent message on WhatsApp falsely claims that the Government of India is giving ₹8,000 as a Diwali bonus in the name of the Prime Minister, and that the message leads to a fake website that asks for personal information. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau had issued a similar warning on 29 October 2026, as reported by PTI.
Police have repeated the alert. Delhi Police issued a festive cyber advisory that was reported on 7 November 2026. The Pimpri-Chinchwad police in Pune and the Kolkata Police Cyber Cell warned on 8 November 2026 that the same message was still going around on Diwali day.
How the scam works
- You get a message that looks like a government announcement and says "I have already received my benefit".
- The link opens a fake website that asks for your Aadhaar, PAN, bank details or OTP.
- You may be asked to pay a small "registration fee" or to approve a UPI request, to "receive" the money.
- Some links ask you to install an app. That app can read your messages and take over your banking apps.
A UPI PIN is needed only to send money. You never need it to receive money.
What to do
- Do not click the link and do not forward the message.
- Do not pay any fee to claim a government benefit. Real schemes do not ask for one.
- Do not share your Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, OTP, card PIN or UPI PIN on an unknown site.
- Check any scheme on the official website of the government department.
- Report suspicious messages to PIB Fact Check on +91 8799711259 or factcheck@pib.gov.in.
If you clicked or paid
Act at once, because the sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping the money.
- Tell your bank right away and block your card or UPI from the bank's app.
- Call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930.
- File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.
- If you installed an app from the link, uninstall it and change your banking passwords from another device.
Also read: Fake government scheme ads with deepfake videos.
Sources: The Economic Times: Government giving Rs 8,000 as Diwali bonus? PIB responds to viral claim, 2 November 2026, PTI: Cyber Security Bureau alerts on fake Diwali cash benefit WhatsApp link, 29 October 2026, The Indian Express: Fake Rs 8,000 PM Modi Diwali gift scam, Pune, 8 November 2026, The Hindu: Delhi Police issue cyber advisory ahead of Deepavali, 7 November 2026, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
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