Viral Message Claimed to Be From Punjab National Bank (PNB) Claims Financial Subsidy for Users Is Fake and You Should Not Fall For It
Bank customers are receiving a message via social media channels that claim they can win Rs 6,000 as per a recent government scheme. The offer according to the message is apparently from Punjab National Bank however, we would like to clarify that this offer is fake. Moreover, clicking on the link attached to the message may lead you to lose your data, money, or any other personal details.
Both PIB Fact Check and Punjab National Bank have called out the claim as fake and no one should believe in such messages. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest scam.
No, PNB is Not Giving Rs 6,000 for Free
Several bank customers have been receiving a message on WhatsApp or via SMS. The message is said to be sent by Punjab National Bank but in reality, it is sent by scammers. The message states that the user is eligible to win Rs 6,000 under a new scheme by the Punjab National Bank. It states that the bank is celebrating its 130th Anniversary and hence giving out a Government financial subsidy. The website seems to be a complete replica of PNB’s website so one can believe it to be true.
“Chance to win a Financial Subsidy worth ₹6,000 from Punjab National Bank”
Sounds enticing right? However,
✔️This lucky draw is #FAKE
✔️It’s a scam & is not related to @pnbindia
Always run any suspicious information related to the Government of India by #PIBFactCheck pic.twitter.com/PIW0OdoH5k
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 22, 2023
PIB Fact Check on Twitter said that it’s a scam and no one should believe it. It said that the lucky draw is fake and is not related to Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Important Advisory 👇#FoolTheFraudster #CyberSecurityAwareness #FakeLinks #Digital #Banking pic.twitter.com/ph9ZGDyoAL
— Punjab National Bank (@pnbindia) April 22, 2023
Punjab National Bank also responded to the scam message. It said that the bank has not announced any such scheme and that no customer should trust this. It also said that the link attached to the message could be a phishing link which may lead to the user’s financial or data loss. No one should click or share this link. It asked customers to verify such messages from the bank before clicking or sharing them.
Also Read: Mumbai-Based Woman Loses Rs 7 Lakh After Being Lured by Fraudster to Use a Free Android Phone
Be Safe From Such Frauds
If you’re among the ones who are receiving this scam message, make sure to not click on any link provided in the message. With the latest scam, scammers are trying to gather personal user data including name, email address, phone numbers, and bank details.
If you receive a WhatsApp message from a person who is not on your contact list, WhatsApp provides you an option to Report and Block. You should ignore these scam messages and also report them by clicking on the report button. Also, you can block these contacts, so that you do not receive another scam message from them in the future.
In case scammers keep sending you such messages again and again from a different numbers, you can report it to Cyber Cell. The police will start its investigation and start taking action.
