MEA Flags Fake X Handle In The Ministry’s Name, Cautions Citizens

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) warns people against following a fake social media handle in the ministry’s name or people impersonating as the officials of the ministry on social media platforms. Flagging an X (formerly Twitter) handle ‘@MEABharat’ as fake, the MEA warned that it has no linkage to the Ministry.

“We have come across an account on X, @MEABharat. This account has absolutely no linkage to the Ministry. As such, it is impersonating the Ministry, misleading the public and undermining public interest. All are advised to exercise due caution,” posted the MEA FactCheck unit on X on July 13.  

As the ministry advised people to exercise caution, one should be careful while clicking on the links provided on such fake handles, websites, or contact numbers.  

The MEA Fact Check team keeps issuing advisory messages on the social media platform X to alert people. Earlier this month, it also warned against believing information on a website regarding suspension of VISA and passport services in the UAE. It cautioned by posting, “Please stay alert against such false and misleading claims on social media. No such inputs were shared for this article.”

Even in the last month, it issued a warning for unsuspecting pilgrims planning to go to the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra organised by MEA. “Caution to Yatris. It has been noticed that fake announcements and advertisements for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra organised by MEA are circulating online. Beware of such announcements and advertisements. http://kmy.gov.in is the only genuine portal for KMY organised by MEA,” it posted.

While advancing technology has given rise to more sophisticated frauds, one should be vigilant to avoid traps laid by fraudsters, including impersonation scams, or clicking a suspicious link to lose money to fraudsters.

As technology advances, fraud has become more sophisticated. Amid the plethora of information available across various platforms, it is important to find authentic information. One should stay vigilant to avoid scams, including impersonation fraud and suspicious links that can cause financial loss.

PIB Fact Check Unit

In case of information from central government departments, ministries, public sector undertakings, etc., one can rely on PIB Fact Check handle on various social media platforms (X, Instagram, Ku, Telegram, and Facebook) for clarifying whether a platform or a link is genuine or not. The Unit itself keeps posting on its handles; however, users can initiate the query from their end if required.

How To Submit Complaint About Fact Check?

There are three modes of submitting the complaint to PIB for fact check: WhatsApp, email, and PIB’s official fact check web portal. One can lodge a complaint through any of the three modes. For sending a WhatsApp message, the number is +91 8799711259. There is no fee to be paid for checking facts; however, the complaint has to be related to information about government sector entities.

When a complaint is made, the PIB Fact Check examines the information to confirm whether it falls within its scope. If yes, the unit researches it using various fact-checking tools and verifies with the authentic government information available on government websites, circulars, notices, documents, etc. After the application is submitted, a reply is sent to the complainant on WhatsApp or email.