Fact-check: Viral website of Punjab's free solar panel scheme is fake

Multiple online posts are sharing a URL, alleging that those who register on it will receive free solar equipment for their homes from the Punjab government, under the Punjab Free Solar Panel Scheme.

The claim is false.

Claim

A website link, "solar-panel-scheme-2024.blogspot.com", is circulating online, claiming to provide a registration form for the Punjab government’s free solar panel distribution programme. According to the website, this programme targets consumers who use 100-500 units of electricity per month.

The form asks Punjab residents to provide their name and identity card number and mentions a November 10 deadline to qualify.

The web page was being shared in WhatsApp groups and on X and Facebook here and here.

Fact

A government official and an independent analyst confirm that the website link is fraudulent.

In March, the Punjab government introduced the 'Roshan Gharana Program', aiming to distribute 50,000 solar systems to low-income households. However, Adnan Mudassar, the project director of the 'Roshan Gharana Program', told Geo Fact Check that registration for the program has not started yet.

"All the websites circulating online are fake," he said. "These [links] are not from the government. Once the program is officially launched, it will be properly communicated through the media to raise public awareness."

Geo Fact Check also spoke to Anees Qureshi, an open-source intelligence analyst at the Islamabad-based Bytes for All (B4A). Qureshi explained that false links are often circulated for various schemes, such as for Hajj or the Ehsaas programme during the pandemic.

"On this website, when you complete all the required steps, it redirects to another site," he said, explaining that such websites are called ‘adware,’ which are paid to drive traffic to specific pages. Additionally, fraudulent websites often collect identity details that are later leaked or sold on the dark web.

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