Fake social media messages promising Rs 5,000 Independence Day scholarships are exploiting official branding to deceive students and parents, with cybercriminals also hijacking UPI autopay features for financial theft. Authorities urge verification through official portals and caution against upfront payments.
Viral messages circulating on social media are falsely offering an Independence Day scholarship, promising cash support of Rs 5,000 to students. The alerts appear designed to draw families into clicking bogus links that can steal bank details or activate hidden payment instructions, according to the warning circulating online.
The scams often imitate official government branding, using familiar logos and language to look legitimate. Some messages also ask for a small “processing fee” before the money is supposedly released, a tactic that turns a fake scholarship offer into a route for unauthorised access to bank accounts. Collegesimplified says these kinds of frauds increasingly mirror the National Scholarship Portal, while the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general has also warned that scholarship scams commonly start with unsolicited offers and upfront payment demands.
Students and parents are being urged to check any scholarship claim only through official channels ending in “.gov.in”. The National Scholarship Portal is the main place to verify genuine schemes, and the Public Financial Management System can be used to track payment status. Collegesimplified notes that the real portal does not charge application or status-check fees.
Cybercriminals are also exploiting UPI autopay features by disguising recurring payment mandates as harmless verification steps. Once approved, those auto-debit requests can move money repeatedly. Users are being told to review active mandates in their payment apps immediately and cancel anything unfamiliar.
For students applying for legitimate aid, officials and consumer groups recommend using secure portals, matching Aadhaar details with bank records and keeping acknowledgement slips. If a fraud has already occurred, the advice is to report it at once through the cybercrime helpline on 1930 and file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime portal. The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau both advise consumers to treat unexpected scholarship or grant offers with caution, never share one-time passwords, and avoid paying any fee to claim supposed free money.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
