The Punjab government distributed free smartphones to Class 12 government school students on Wednesday.
Do not click on any URL, sent through SMS or WhatsApp, to register for free smartphones under the Punjab Smart Connect Scheme, state's Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said cautioning people against online frauds.
Minister Singla said the messages being circulated carry a picture of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh under the title "Captain Smartphone Distribution Scheme 2020" along with an online registration form.
"The question that the scheme may extend to others does not arise. Only Class 12 government schools students have been given smartphones under the free smartphone scheme based on their enrollment," Mr Singla said taking exception to the messages circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
He added that the government has not launched any website for registration under the scheme.
Cheats would face dire consequences under cybercrime prevention laws, Mr Singla said, cautioning that clicking on such links could lead to phishing attacks, giving cyber-criminals control of people's device and financial information.
Mr Singla has urged people to immediately delete such messages instead of forwarding them to others.
The Congress-led Punjab government had rolled out the free smartphone scheme for the state's youth - a poll promise - on Wednesday.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday launched the Rs 92 crore "Punjab Smart Connection Scheme" on the occasion of Janmashtami and International Youth Day.
He handed over smartphones to six Class 12 students as a symbolic gesture as ministers, MLAs and others simultaneous distributed phones at 26 places to kickstart the scheme.