A fraudulent website posing as part of a Punjab government initiative to distribute free solar panels has recently surfaced, aiming to deceive citizens by requesting their personal information. This fake scheme, shared widely across social media, falsely claims to offer free solar equipment to households under the “Punjab Free Solar Panel Scheme.”
The website link has been spreading rapidly on platforms like WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook, where posts assert that those who register through the link will receive free solar panels if they are Punjab residents. According to the site, the offer supposedly applies to households using between 100 and 500 electricity units per month, requiring users to enter details such as their full name and national ID number. The site also mentions a deadline of November 10 for registration.
Upon visiting the site, users are prompted to fill out a registration form, including their electricity usage and basic identity information. However, cybersecurity experts and officials warn that this website is fake and has no ties to any actual government initiative. It is designed to gather personal data, which could potentially be misused.
A government official and cybersecurity expert, both cited by a private news channel, confirmed the fraudulent nature of the link. The official further explained that, earlier this year, the Punjab government did plan a solar initiative under the “Roshan Gharana Program,” which aimed to provide 50,000 solar systems to low-income households. However, this project has not yet launched, and no registration process has been initiated.
Adnan Mudasir, the director of the Roshan Gharana Program, clarified that “none of these websites are genuine, and they have no affiliation with the government. When the actual program launches, the public will be notified through official media channels.”
The public is advised to avoid such suspicious websites and rely only on official announcements from credible sources to prevent identity theft or other potential risks.
