What to Do with a Fake Government Message, Website or Recruitment Claim

Fraudulent messages, calls, apps and websites may use the name of government schemes, recruitment, subsidies, refunds, KYC, examinations, Aadhaar, PAN or document updates. A government logo, PDF letterhead, QR code, minister’s photograph or screenshot from a familiar media brand does not prove that the claim is genuine.

Different situations require different reporting channels. First decide whether you need to verify a Government of India claim, report an attempted fraud or suspect identifier, or report a cybercrime after becoming a victim.

Citizen Affairs is not part of PIB, I4C, the Department of Telecommunications, the police, a bank or any government department. This guide explains general routing and does not guarantee investigation or recovery.

1. What to do in the first five minutes

• Do not forward the message, click the link, install the app or make a payment.
• Take screenshots showing the full message, sender, phone number, email, date and time.
• Preserve the complete URL where possible without opening a suspicious shortened link.
• Save payment instructions, UPI IDs, account numbers, QR codes and transaction details separately.
• Open the responsible ministry, department, scheme or recruiting authority’s official homepage yourself and search for the same notice.
• Do not post Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, phone numbers, OTPs or complaint-login details publicly.

Save necessary evidence before deleting a message or clearing a chat. Do not reopen a suspicious attachment, APK or executable file merely to collect evidence.

2. Common warning signs

Be cautious when a message or site:

• pressures you to pay or share information within minutes or hours;
• requests a fee through a personal UPI ID, wallet or individual bank account;
• asks for an OTP, PIN, CVV, UPI PIN, internet-banking password or screen-sharing access;
• uses a misspelled government-looking domain, extra hyphens or an unusual subdomain;
• provides no verifiable notice number, date, issuing authority or official contact;
• promises a guaranteed job or benefit for everyone;
• threatens immediate account blocking without an official notice;
• asks you to install an unofficial APK, remote-access app or browser extension.

An https padlock, professional design, privacy policy or government logo alone does not establish authenticity. Not every genuine service uses only a .gov.in domain either, so verify the handoff from the responsible authority’s official homepage.

3. Use PIB Fact Check for Government of India claims

The PIB Fact Check Unit accepts suspicious information related to the Government of India, its ministries, departments, public-sector entities, policies, schemes, guidelines, initiatives and announcements. Submissions can include text, images, audio, video, letters and website claims.

Current official submission channels include:

• portal: factcheck.pib.gov.in
• WhatsApp: +91 8799711259
• email: factcheck@pib.gov.in

The PIB FAQ states that fact-check requests are free. PIB Fact Check is not the universal complaint desk for private companies, personal disputes or every rumour relating only to a State Government. In those cases, check the responsible State authority and use the appropriate police or cybercrime route when fraud is involved.

4. Report a suspect identifier through I4C

When you have encountered an attempted fraud but have not yet suffered a loss, the I4C Report Suspect facility can be used to report identifiers such as:

• a suspicious website URL;
• a phone or mobile number;
• a WhatsApp or Telegram handle;
• an email address;
• an SMS header;
• a social-media URL.

Provide accurate details and preserve screenshots. Do not submit invented information or use the facility to harass a legitimate person or organisation.

The I4C suspect-search facility can help check reported website and app identifiers, but no result does not prove that an identifier is safe.

5. Use Chakshu for suspected fraudulent communications

Chakshu, available through the Sanchar Saathi initiative, is intended for reporting suspected fraudulent communications received through calls, SMS or WhatsApp. It can be appropriate for attempts involving fake KYC, impersonation, malicious links, SIM-related claims or financial-fraud lures before a loss occurs.

Follow the current Sanchar Saathi instructions and enter the communication details accurately. Preserve the sender number, message and date or time.

Chakshu is not a substitute for a victim complaint when money or data has already been lost.

6. If you are a victim, use the cybercrime portal

If you have transferred money, disclosed credentials, lost account access or suffered another cybercrime, use the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. For cyber financial fraud, call 1930 as quickly as possible.

Also contact the bank, card issuer, wallet or payment provider using the official number shown on its website, app or card. Ask for the transaction or account to be flagged according to its fraud process.

Prepare:

• transaction ID or UTR;
• amount, date and time;
• beneficiary account or UPI details;
• screenshots and chat records;
• phone numbers, URLs and email addresses;
• your complaint acknowledgement.

Speed matters in financial-fraud reporting, but recovery cannot be guaranteed.

7. Preserve evidence safely

Keep the original message and unedited screenshots where possible. Record the sequence of events in simple chronological order. Preserve receipts, bank alerts and complaint numbers.

Do not publish sensitive evidence on social media. Share it only through the official complaint facility, with law enforcement or with the bank’s authorised fraud team. If a device may be compromised, use a separate trusted device to change passwords and file the complaint.

8. Secure affected accounts

After reporting, take practical security steps where relevant:

• change compromised passwords from a trusted device;
• sign out of unknown sessions;
• block or replace affected cards and payment instruments through the official provider;
• contact the mobile operator if the SIM or number may be compromised;
• remove remote-access software that you were tricked into installing;
• monitor bank, email and identity accounts for unusual activity.

Do not follow further instructions from the suspected fraudster, even if they claim they can return the money for another fee.

Final routing checklist

Use the channel that matches the situation:

• PIB Fact Check: suspicious Government of India claim that needs verification;
• I4C Report Suspect: suspicious URL, number, handle, email or other identifier before victimisation;
• Chakshu: suspected fraudulent call, SMS or WhatsApp communication;
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime victim complaint;
• 1930: urgent cyber financial fraud reporting;
• bank or payment provider: official fraud support and transaction action.

Verify first, preserve evidence, avoid further contact and use the official channel that matches what actually happened.

Key facts and official links Open the checklist when you are ready to act

Decision workspace

What you should check and do next

Use this source-linked summary before reading the full explanation or opening an official portal.

Current status

Partially Confirmed

Last verified

5 August 2026

Official sources

7

Transparency record

Updates and corrections

Material changes are recorded so you can see how this information evolved.

Update history

1. 2026-08-05: Published after checking the separate roles of PIB Fact Check, I4C Report Suspect, NCRP victim complaints, the 1930 helpline and Chakshu.