New Delhi, April 22: A link along with a fraudulent note, claimed to be issued by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT), went viral among netizens in India amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. The message claims that the Indian government is offering free internet recharge till May 3 to all mobile phone users. Here's a fact-check of the fake news going viral.

Claim: To ensure people are connected with their friends and relatives amid the lockdown, the Telecommunication Department, falling under the central government, is granting an internet package to mobile phone users of all telecom providers. Along with this message, netizens are asked to visit the following link - mysafecovid19.com - and register themselves for the free recharge. Aarogya Setu Wristbands to Track Coronavirus Patients? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News.

The message going viral is written in Hindi and drafted in the Devanagari text. It further adds that the offer is valid till only May 3, 2020 -- the day when the current phase of COVID-19 lockdown is scheduled to end.

Several Twitter users sought a clarification from the government over the genuineness of the message. They tagged their telecom providers and government handles to ascertain whether there is any ploy behind the message going viral.

See How Twitterati Reacted to The Message Going Viral

'Some Phishing Site?'

BSNL Asked to Respond

See PIB Fact Check's Tweet

Fact-Check: In backdrop of the above messages, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) - the government's official media arm - issued a statement vira its PIB Fact Check Twitter handle to dispel the rumour. In a clarification note issued in Hindi, it stated that no such internet package is being offered by the government. It warned the netizens against falling prey to such websites.

"Claim: DoT has announced to provide free internet to all mobile users by May 3, 2020, to which they have to click on the given link. Fact: This claim is completely false, and the given link is fake. Please stay away from rumors and fraudsters," the statement in Hindi, as shared in the tweet above, read.

Fact check

Free Mobile Internet Till May 3 Offered by Department of Telecommunication Amid COVID-19 Lockdown? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News
Claim :

DoT offering free internet to mobile users registering at mysafecovid19.com

Conclusion :

Fake news! The PIB has clarified that no such internet package is being provided. The internet users must beware of such websites.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2020 11:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).