COVID-19: Cyber security agency cautions against fake PM-CARES UPI IDs
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said it has tracked several fake UPI IDs, which are similar to the UPI ID used by the PM-CARES Fund
The national cyber security agency has alerted donors against fake 'UPI IDs' for a special fund launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an advisory issued on Saturday, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said it has "tracked several fake UPI IDs which are similar to the UPI ID used by the "Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund".
CERT-In is the country's nodal agency to guard cyber space.
The advisory identified some of the fake UPI IDs in circulation such as pmcares@pnb, pmcares@hdfcbank, pmcare@yesbank, pmcare@ybl, pmcare@upi, pmcare@sbi and pmcares@icici.
"It may be noted that the genuine UPI ID is "pmcares@sbi"and the registered account name is "PM CARES," it said, asking people to verify UPI ID and the registered name before making any donations.
"Citizens, donors and organisations are advised to visit the website "pmindia.gov.in" for further details about the fund," the advisory said.
The PM-CARES Fund was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28 and it has received donations worth crores.
A message on PM's official website says that keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of 'Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund' (PM CARES Fund)' was set up.
Political leaders, corporates, defence personnel, employees of PSUs such as Railways, and Bollywood personalities were among a cross-section of organisations and people who pledged their contribution to the fund announced by Modi to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
President Ram Nath Kovind said he will donate a month's salary to the fund to "help the nation tide over the crisis of COVID-19" and appealed to countrymen to donate generously to it.
(Disclaimer: Additional background information has been added to this PTI copy for context)