Fact-Check: Fake link circulating online promises free laptops under Prime Minister's scheme
The federal government’s official websites end in .gov.pk
Updated Tuesday Feb 04 2025
Multiple online posts are circulating a link, claiming that registering through it will get you a free computer under the Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme.
The claim is false.
Claim
On January 18, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted: “Breaking news: the Prime Minister Laptop Scheme is now accepting applications for 2025.” The post went on to claim that more than 88,000 people have already received laptops through the program and included a link to register.
The link directs users to a website where they are asked to provide personal details, including their name, educational background, and laptop preferences. The URL is: https://ld1834.ba14.top/#1738560997856
This message has also spread across WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram.
Fact
The website is fraudulent, confirmed government officials and independent analysts.
On August 12, 2023, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced an initiative to distribute one million smartphones, tablets, and laptops to top-performing students across the country, including in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and remote areas of Balochistan.
However, shortly after this announcement, links began circulating, falsely claiming to offer laptops through the government program.
Junaid Cheema, the digital media executive for the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, explained to Geo Fact Check: “All official government initiatives related to youth are launched through the Prime Minister’s Youth Program website. We have no affiliation with any other portals.”
He also added that legitimate government sites always end in .gov.pk.
Anees Qureshi, an open-source intelligence analyst at Bytes for All (B4A) in Islamabad, further confirmed the fraud: “This is clearly a scam. If it were legitimate, the domain would end in .gov.pk, but it doesn't.”
Qureshi explained that these fraudulent sites aim to attract users with offers like free laptops to generate traffic, which is later sold for profit.
Jareeullah Shah, the tech lead at Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD), an Islamabad-based organisation promoting media literacy and digital development, added: “There’s no need for technical verification—it’s fake. Official government messages won’t come from a domain like ‘ad84.top’.”
Verdict: The link circulating online claiming to offer free laptops through the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme is a scam. The federal government’s official websites end in .gov.pk.
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