Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL users are being warned about a fake annual recharge offer circulating on Facebook and Instagram. The advertisements promise a full year of mobile recharge validity for just Rs. 399, but the offer is designed to trick users into losing money and potentially exposing personal information.
The police-backed cyber safety initiative Cyber Dost has flagged the fraudulent advertisements and urged users to verify unusually cheap recharge plans through their telecom operators’ official platforms.
Scammers are using the names, logos, and brand colors of popular telecom operators, including Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL, to make the advertisements appear genuine. The sponsored posts claim that users can get a year’s worth of mobile service at a fraction of the usual cost.
Clicking on these advertisements can redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to resemble legitimate mobile recharge platforms. These websites ask visitors to enter their mobile numbers and select the advertised recharge plan.
Once users submit their details, they are taken to a payment page that may offer UPI transfers or QR code scanning as payment options. The money is then transferred to accounts controlled by fraudsters. However, the promised recharge may never be credited to the user’s mobile number.
Cyber Dost has cautioned that advertisements appearing on popular social media platforms should not automatically be considered genuine.
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Users should avoid clicking on suspicious recharge advertisements and verify every offer through their telecom operator’s official website or application.
They should also check website URLs carefully before entering mobile numbers or payment information. A familiar company logo or a sponsored advertisement does not establish that a website is genuine.
Before approving a UPI transaction, users should verify the recipient’s name. They should never share their UPI PIN, banking passwords, or OTPs with anyone or enter these details on suspicious websites.
Anyone who has paid through a suspicious recharge website should immediately contact their bank or payment service provider to dispute the transaction.
Users should preserve payment confirmations, transaction IDs, website addresses, and screenshots of advertisements. Suspected online financial fraud can be reported through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the helpline 1930. Verifying an offer before paying can help avoid financial losses.