Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer warns voters to be cautious of fraudulent messages impersonating the Election Commission, as scams aiming to steal personal and banking information surge amid election season.
Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer, C. Sudarshan Reddy, has warned voters to ignore a wave of fraudulent messages that are using the Election Commission of India’s name to lure people into handing over personal and banking information. The alerts, circulating on social media and WhatsApp, claim that election cards or enumeration forms have been rejected because of a mismatch and then direct recipients to share sensitive details or make a small online payment. According to the CEO’s office, the messages are designed to exploit voters’ anxiety about their electoral status.
Reddy said the fraudsters are asking people to call a number or open a link to complete a form and pay ₹5 by net banking or debit or credit card, while also seeking login passwords, CVV numbers and ATM PINs. The Telangana CEO stressed that neither the Election Commission nor his office asks electors to pay money online in order to complete voter-related formalities, and urged people to treat such messages and calls as suspicious.
The warning fits a broader pattern of election- and government-themed scams that have been circulating in India. The Times of India recently reported on fake emails purporting to offer a “PAN 2.0” upgrade in an attempt to steal personal and financial data, while another report described a false SMS claiming to be from India Post and warning that bank accounts could be blocked unless PAN details were updated. In both cases, officials flagged the messages as fraudulent and advised the public to rely only on verified government channels.
Cyber and election authorities have also been alert to bogus APK files and other deceptive attachments passed off as official Election Commission material. The Times of India reported that officials warned voters about a file circulating on WhatsApp that used the ECI logo and referred to a supposed nationwide voter list update. Separately, the Election Commission’s own “Myth Vs Reality” section continues to rebut misinformation, underscoring how election fraud warnings now sit alongside a wider campaign against phishing, smishing and identity theft.
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