Fact Check: Fake Free Recharge Links Going Viral After Chandrayaan-3’s Landing
Vishvas News conducted an investigation and determined that the viral post was indeed false. Neither Tata nor Jio are offering any such promotion. Readers are strongly advised not to click on any suspicious links.
- By: Jyoti Kumari
- Published: Aug 29, 2023 at 02:58 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): The entire country is filled with an atmosphere of happiness due to the success of India’s Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-3. Since the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the Moon, numerous pictures and videos have gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, various posts related to free recharge are being shared on social media, claiming to be from different telecom companies. These posts assert that all Indians will receive free recharge as a reward for the safe landing of Chandrayaan 3. The post contains a link that recipients are asked to share further.
Vishvas News, during its investigation, found the viral claim to be false. The posts circulating in the name of Jio, Tata, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are incorrect. There is no offer for free recharge being provided. Cyber experts have also advised against clicking on these links. Similar fake claims have previously gained traction on social media.
Claim:
On August 26, Facebook user ‘6390raj2023’ posted (archive link), “TATA offers *TATA company* a special offer to commemorate the landing of *Chandrayaan 3*, providing 28 days of *Rs 239* recharge for free to all Indian users. To avail of the free recharge, click the blue link provided below.
Another Facebook page ‘Crazy 2 Big’ also shared a post (archive link) related to the safe landing of Chandrayaan 3. The post’s caption stated, “To celebrate the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3, the Prime Minister of India is offering 1 month of free recharge to all users in India. I have already received my free 28-day recharge through this. You can also get 28 days of free recharge by clicking the link below (Last Date – August 25, 2023). I’ve benefited from the free recharge; now it’s your turn.”
A similar claim was also received on WhatsApp. The message reads, “Jio Offer – In celebration of the successful landing of CHANDRAYAAN 3, Jio is providing all Indian users with free recharge of Rs 719 for 84 days. To avail, click the blue link below.”
Investigation:
To begin the investigation, the Google open search tool was used to find information about the claimed free recharge offers associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tata, and Jio on social media. However, no credible news source could confirm these claims.
The official website of Jio was explored to know about the viral claim but no information about the viral offer was found on the website. If Jio had indeed offered such a promotion, it would have been prominently displayed on their website. Further investigation led to the official social media accounts of Jio, where no information supporting the viral claim was discovered.
The inquiry then moved on to investigate the viral claim attributed to Tata. Tata’s website was searched, but no information corroborating the claim was found. Such a significant offer, if genuine, would have been documented on the company’s website. Tata’s social media accounts were also examined, but no posts related to the viral claim were located.
It’s important to note that the claim circulating in the name of PM Modi has previously surfaced on multiple occasions with the same assertions. Vishvas News has investigated and documented this in a fact-check report.
The links were shared with cybersecurity consultant Kislay Chowdhary, who advised against clicking on the shared links. Clicking on such links can potentially lead to data theft and hacking. He emphasised, “It’s important to remember that if any company is offering such a promotion, they would definitely share the information on their official social media or website. Therefore, it’s wise to first check these sources.”
Finally, the user responsible for the fake post was investigated. It was discovered that the user had 19,000 followers and was located in Australia, as indicated by the user’s profile information.
Conclusion: Vishvas News conducted an investigation and determined that the viral post was indeed false. Neither Tata nor Jio are offering any such promotion. Readers are strongly advised not to click on any suspicious links.
- Claim Review : Tata company offering free recharges after Chandrayaan 3 launch
- Claimed By : 6390raj2023 (चंद्रशेखर आज़ाद रावण)
- Fact Check : False
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