Social-media and door-step offers to “register you for the PM Surya Ghar free electricity subsidy” — against a fee, or your bank details — have become a fresh wave of scheme fraud.
How the real subsidy works
The scheme’s subsidy is applied through the official portal against an approved application and a verified installation. Payout details are shown in your own portal login. Nothing is routed through a personal bank-account credential or a third-party agent’s account.
Why it matters
- The scheme is automatic at the portal level once verified — urgency to “book a slot” is manufactured.
- Real subsidy flows only after installation verification; anyone promising money before installation is lying.
- Your OTP is worth more than the subsidy you are being promised.
Key takeaways
- Genuine government subsidies never collect money from you.
- Payouts are visible in your portal login, not in WhatsApp screenshots.
- An OTP in a stranger’s chat is money out of your account.
The fraud’s shape
- A “government field officer” asks an advance for paperwork.
- They ask your bank login, or an OTP, to “link the subsidy account”.
- They promise a figure that has no basis in the scheme’s published structure.
What you should do
- Apply only on the official portal pmsuryaghar.gov.in — there is no fee to apply.
- Keep all scheme correspondence inside the portal; verify any claimed payout there.
- Never share OTPs or bank credentials with anyone claiming to “process” a scheme, and report on cybercrime.gov.in.