What are the red flags of this scam?

Government scheme benefits are never released against a payment to an individual's UPI or phone number • PM Awas Yojana applications are filed at gram panchayat or municipality offices in person — not approved over the phone • Legitimate scheme notifications come via official letters or the PM Awas Yojana portal — not WhatsApp or phone calls • Callers create urgency: 'Your allotment will lapse if you don't pay within 24 hours'

What should I do if this happened to me?

Do not pay any fee — call your gram panchayat, municipality, or the official PM Awas Yojana helpline at 1800-11-6446 to verify • Check your genuine PM Kisan status at pmkisan.gov.in using your Aadhaar number — no call or fee is needed • Never share Aadhaar, bank details, or OTPs with anyone claiming to verify scheme eligibility over the phone • If you paid, call 1930 immediately and file a report at https://cybercrime.gov.in — freeze the transaction within the first hour • If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it. • Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

MEDIUM government impersonation Last reported: 19 Oct 2026 Share

Caller says you have been approved for PM Awas Yojana or another government scheme — pay a fee to claim it

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A caller claims you are approved for a welfare scheme (PM Awas Yojana, PM Kisan, Ujjwala, etc.) and asks for a processing fee, stamp duty, or GST payment to release the benefit. No such fee exists — it is a scam.

A caller claims you are approved for a welfare scheme (PM Awas Yojana, PM Kisan, Ujjwala, etc.) and asks for a processing fee, stamp duty, or GST payment to release the benefit. No such fee exists — it is a scam.

Also known as: PM Awas Yojana fraud, government scheme processing fee scam, PM Kisan scam, welfare scheme impersonation

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

Call 1930 now

1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
! If you installed any "support", "server", "refund", or remote-access app at their request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.): disconnect the internet now, then run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.

What to do right now

1 Do not pay any fee — call your gram panchayat, municipality, or the official PM Awas Yojana helpline at 1800-11-6446 to verify
2 Check your genuine PM Kisan status at pmkisan.gov.in using your Aadhaar number — no call or fee is needed
3 Never share Aadhaar, bank details, or OTPs with anyone claiming to verify scheme eligibility over the phone
4 If you paid, call 1930 immediately and file a report at https://cybercrime.gov.in — freeze the transaction within the first hour
5 If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
6 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

Was remote-access software installed?

If a scammer asked you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, or any remote-access app, your device may still be compromised.

Run SeraphSecure to detect and remove it →

Red flags

⚠ Government scheme benefits are never released against a payment to an individual's UPI or phone number
⚠ PM Awas Yojana applications are filed at gram panchayat or municipality offices in person — not approved over the phone
⚠ Legitimate scheme notifications come via official letters or the PM Awas Yojana portal — not WhatsApp or phone calls
⚠ Callers create urgency: 'Your allotment will lapse if you don't pay within 24 hours'

Known variants

Fake 'Senior Citizen Pension Card' scheme advertised on Facebook: scammer contacts elderly targets via DM after they click a sponsored ad, collects bank account numbers, and drains savings. Pimpri-Chinchwad, June 2026: one victim lost ₹9,16,900 through two accounts drained by a fake 'enrollment officer.'

Last seen: 7/1/2026
Annapurna Bhandar (West Bengal, ₹3,000/month, launched June 1, 2026): cloned websites, WhatsApp forwards, and fake 'government agent' calls demand a ₹49 'census verification fee.' 25+ complaints in 5 days of launch; avg loss ₹7,500–₹42,000 per victim.

Last seen: 6/8/2026
Fake website mimics a newly launched state welfare scheme (e.g. Annapurna Bhandar, West Bengal food subsidy). Site collects Aadhaar, bank details, and OTP. UPI-linked accounts are drained within minutes. 47 fake domains identified, 25+ complaints within 5 days of the scheme's June 2026 launch; losses ₹7,500–₹1.1 lakh per victim.

Last seen: 6/7/2026
PM Surya Ghar solar subsidy fraud: unempanelled vendors charge a 'processing fee' or 'GST enrollment fee' to claim the ₹78,000 rooftop solar subsidy. Victims pay but never receive the subsidy or the solar installation. The official pmsuryaghar.gov.in application is free.

Last seen: 9/17/2026
Indiramma Towers housing scheme (Hyderabad, active through August 2026): fraudsters target applicants who paid the ₹10,000 EMD. Fake APK files, cloned Telangana government sites, and WhatsApp messages demand UPI PIN or AnyDesk install to verify eligibility. TGCSB reissued advisory August 2026: no middlemen or fees exist in the scheme.

Last seen: 8/18/2026
Fake 'National Student Laptop Scheme 2026' WhatsApp forward (PIB Fact Check, Sept 2026): viral message promises a free laptop for students. The link collects Aadhaar number and may charge a ₹200–₹500 registration fee. PIB Fact Check confirmed no such central government scheme exists.

Last seen: 9/17/2026
'PM KISAN.apk' malware (2026): WhatsApp/Telegram message claims victim can receive ₹6,000 PM-KISAN benefit by installing a fake 'PM KISAN.apk'. App grants remote access to steal OTPs and drain bank accounts. Karnataka victim lost ₹1.74 lakh; multiple cases reported across India.

Last seen: 9/24/2026
Fake agriculture-department officials offering subsidized equipment (Karnataka, Sep 2026): callers pose as Krishi Vibhag (agricultural dept) officials offering subsidized drip irrigation or sprinkler pipe sets under drought relief. Victim is asked to pay 'shipping and processing fee.' Equipment never arrives; phone is switched off after payment.

Last seen: 9/30/2026
MHA/I4C Oct 2026 — deepfake welfare ads on Facebook/Instagram: AI videos of PM, FM, or CMs promise aid; victims pay fake tax/fee or enter UPI PIN to 'receive' prize money (actually authorises a UPI collect debit). Callers from +92 numbers claim to be government officials.

Last seen: 10/19/2026
AI deepfake of state CM promotes fake scholarship (Rajasthan arrest, 2026): deepfake video impersonates a CM announcing a laptop/scholarship scheme, broadcast in Hindi. Victims pay ₹200–₹500 UPI 'processing fee' to register. Scheme does not exist; Rajasthan man arrested for impersonating Tamil Nadu CM.

Last seen: 10/19/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources