RBI Launching Rs 5000 Note? PIB Fact Check Clarifies Message Circulating On Social Media

The message claiming that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is soon going to issue a Rs 5000 banknote is circulating on social media. Beware! This is a fake message. No such announcement has been made by the RBI. The message, accompanied by an image of a new green-coloured note, falsely claims that the note will be issued by the RBI soon.

Spreading fake news or such false claims is not new in this digital era. However, it is extremely crucial to stay aware of fake messages and fraudsters who attempt to deceive people through such misinformation. Moreover, do not contribute to the spread of suspicious information without proper verification.

While it may be difficult to verify information about private organisations, it is much easier to check information related to government departments. The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check unit, set up in November 2019, was established to weed out fake information, inform the public, and mitigate the spread of false news.

Regarding this Rs 5000 note message, the PIB Fact Check unit clarified by posting on X, saying, “This claim is fake. RBI has not taken any such decision. To check official announcements, please visit RBI’s website.” So, if anyone encounters fake news or information, the platform can be used as an avenue to report suspicious and questionable claims related to the Government of India.

How Do You Verify That The Message Is Fake?

For any message from government departments, ministries, and public sector entities, one can check the authenticity of a message either by:

• Visiting the PIB factcheck official portal at https://factcheck.pib.gov.in/

• Sending an email to the socialmedia@pib.gov.in

• Through Whatsapp hotline number #+91 8799711259

Note that the PIB unit checks facts only for information related to the Union government, according to the website.

The Fact Check unit handles complaints made by the public lodged through these modes and also takes suo motu cognizance if it comes across any such message, video, or information. When it receives complaints pertaining to a government source, such as social media accounts, websites, etc., the unit verifies the information with the concerned government department, ministry, or office and confirms whether the information is fake or genuine. Once the authenticity is verified, it labels the content as fake or genuine and posts it on social media. The results are also communicated separately to the applicant.

So, next time, if such messages come your way related to government departments, wait and verify them with the PIB Fact Check unit to stay correctly informed.