A viral WhatsApp message asking you to apply for Students Laptop Scheme 2024 is a scam; there is no official announcement or information from any government or educational authority about such a scheme.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A viral WhatsApp message claiming to offer students free laptops through the “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” is a hoax.

“The Applications for the Students Laptop Scheme 2024 is Available,” reads the WhatsApp message headline widely shared in private chats and WhatsApp groups.

The message directs recipients to a website where they are asked to enter personal information and share the link with friends and groups on WhatsApp before receiving a confirmation SMS.

A screenshot of the WhatsApp message

Upon clicking the link in the WhatsApp message, the website prompts users to meet specific age requirements and literacy abilities, then requests personal information such as full name, educational level, preferred laptop brand, and age range. 

It poses a mathematical problem verifying age, which is not a standard procedure for legitimate government programs.

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

After this, the website falsely claims the application has been approved and instructs applicants to share the information with friends or groups on WhatsApp before validating their application. This is a common tactic used in phishing scams to spread false information and gather additional personal data from unsuspecting individuals.

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

Claim Verification:

Search engine results on Microsoft Bing for “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” return about the “Laptop Sahay Yojana 2024”, a scheme by the Indian state government that offers financial aid of Rs. 40,000 to each chosen student to purchase a laptop.

No official announcements or government communications about a particular “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” indicate that this scheme is non-existent.

A VirusTotal analysis identifies this website as a phishing scam, a tool used to verify the authenticity of the website.

A whois domain search shows that the website was registered on January 9, 2023, and will expire on January 9, 2024.

Screenshot of the domain Whois information

The website linked in the message prompts users to enter personal information, a red flag, as legitimate government application processes are typically conducted through official channels.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found out that the viral WhatsApp message claiming to offer free laptops to students through a government scheme for 2024 is a hoax. There is no legitimate information or official announcement about such a scheme, and the website linked in the message is likely a ploy to collect personal information fraudulently.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-Check for a Pay’ Initiative with support from the International Fact-Checking Network through the BUILD grant.

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