- By Vikas Yadav
- Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:03 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
PM Free Laptop Scheme 2023: A circular that claims the government is offering free laptops is doing rounds on the internet. The notice is attributed to the "Ministry of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy" of the Government of India. But what is the reality behind this claim? Here's the truth.
Is the government offering free laptops?
According to PIB Fact Check, the fact-checking arm of the Press Information Bureau, the notice with the subject line: 'Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023' dated February 20, 2023, added that the government has launched the new scheme for all states and a website link is there in the letter, which is fake.
"A notice is circulating on social media that claims that the Government Of India is offering free laptops to youth under the Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023. The notice is #FAKE. No such scheme is being run by the @EduMinOfIndia, GOI," @PIBFactCheck said.
Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023-24 Fake Letter
According to the fraud letter, the Government of India has launched this laptop scheme for eligible students across states. A link to a website is attached in the notice that the letter claims to be the "official website" to register for the benefits. But this is a false URL.
The poster claims that students studying in "XI, XII, BA-1st, BA-2nd, BA-3rd, BA-4th, BA-5th, and BA-6th semester" are eligible for the free laptop after submitting details in a form. It promises a user to fill in details for the current academic year and "keep visiting the official website".
The promised laptop in the notice is a Lenovo machine with Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and Windows 11. A platinum grey colour model that weighs 1.7kg is advertised in the poster. This is not the first time that such claims have surfaced online. In a previous post, the fact-checking arm of PIB had warned about the message in June. It seems scammers are using this trick again.
Laptop For Free Latest Scam: How To Be Safe?
A user must note that every detail in this poster is fake. They should not visit the link in the poster or enter personal and financial details to stay safe. To stay extra cautious, a user should avoid clicking on links that promise such kinds of rewards. Beyond this measure, you can skim across media reports before your next step.