Police caution public against cyber frauds using govt scheme names

Kurnool: Cyber fraudsters are increasingly targeting citizens by misusing the names of popular government welfare schemes, prompting the police to issue a strong advisory urging public vigilance.

DIG and Kurnool District In-charge Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil, in a press release on Friday cautioned that cybercriminals are exploiting people’s trust and lack of awareness to carry out financial frauds. According to the DIG, fraudsters are circulating fake links and messages on social media and mobile platforms in the names of schemes such as PM Kisan, Mudra Loans, Suryaghar and Ammavadi. These messages falsely claim the launch of new schemes or offer large subsidies, encouraging recipients to apply immediately, which ultimately leads to unauthorized access to bank accounts.

He explained that scammers often target individuals who have already applied for government schemes, making the communication appear genuine. The police officer warned that sharing OTPs, bank account details, passwords or clicking on unknown links could result in serious financial losses, and advised citizens to remain cautious and verify information before responding.

Vikrant Patil stressed that applications and information related to government schemes should be accessed only through official government portals such as www.gov.in and nic.in domains. In the event of suspicious calls or cyber fraud attempts, the public has been advised to immediately contact the cybercrime helpline 1930 or register a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in. He also appealed to citizens to spread awareness among family members and the community to prevent cybercrime.