Free smartphone scheme for students: Beware of fake claim, government warns

The Indian government runs several schemes aimed at diverse groups of people across the country. However, several fraudsters try to fool people with misleading claims. In the digital age, this has become more common thanks to easy access and power of social media. 

A message circulating on social media claims that the Education Ministry will provide free smartphones to all people across the country to support learning under the ‘Free Smartphone Scheme for Students 2022’. The message urges people to register to be part of the “successful students who will receive a smartphone to support their learning”. The government has clarified this claim.

Through its official fact check handle on Twitter, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check, the government has debunked the message saying no such scheme is being run by it. 

“A message circulating on social media claims that @EduMinOfIndia will provide free smartphones to everyone across the country,” PIB tweeted.

“The message is #Fake. Government of India is not running any such scheme,” it clarified.

A message circulating on social media claims that @EduMinOfIndia will provide free smartphones to everyone across the country#PIBFactCheck:

The message is #Fake

Government of India is not running any such scheme pic.twitter.com/WxvhBeqGR8

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) July 25, 2022

This is not a lone incident. The government keeps on fact checking such claims aimed at defrauding citizens. It even posted a weekly wrap video of all the fake claims fact check in the bygone week. Watch here:Think you missed on your daily dose of 'antidote' against #fake news??

Fret no more

With this #weeklywrap by #PIBFactCheck, all the information you need is just a click away! pic.twitter.com/b0hA4Y1N5A

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) July 24, 2022

People are warned against such fake messages and advised to not fall for such claims that appear too good to be true. 

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