Rooftop Solar Subsidy and Installation Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

On WhatsApp the scammer can send images, voice notes, PDFs and APK files, and a friendly profile photo makes the first message feel safe. Rooftop Solar Subsidy and Installation Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A caller or door-to-door agent offers a rooftop solar subsidy for a fee or advance. See how fake installers and portals collect money and details.

What rooftop solar subsidy and installation scam looks like on WhatsApp

• A friend or relative asking for urgent money from a new number or a hacked account.
• A group invite promising returns, jobs or prizes.
• A PDF, APK or image that must be opened to "see the details".

The scammer uses a copy of an official-looking portal or a printed brochure with the logo of a scheme. He visits homes and housing societies, or calls from a list of electricity consumers, and quotes your electricity bill details. He explains that the subsidy is 'limited' and that only a registered installer can apply on your behalf, which is why you must pay him first.

Red flags to check on the WhatsApp message

• A subsidy offered by a caller or visitor, not through the official portal.
• A registration fee or large advance paid to a personal account or in cash.
• A quota or a deadline that only the agent mentions.
• A sanction letter with no application number you can check.
• You are added to a group full of people praising profits.
• The sender moves you quickly to Telegram or to a second app.

What to do

1. Apply only through the official scheme portal or the electricity board office.
2. Do not pay any fee or advance to an agent at the door or on a call.
3. Ask for the installer's registration and visit a past customer's home.
4. If it was a "friend", call them on the number you already have and ask.
5. Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp settings so a stolen SMS code is not enough.
6. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in if you paid online.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card about the transfer.
3. Report the agent to the electricity board and the scheme office.
4. File a written complaint at the police station with receipts and the brochure.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's link check can look at a registration portal link you paste and warn about lookalike domains, and the scam check marks the quota pressure and the advance request in a message. Money Shield gives a checklist before a payment. It cannot judge the quality of an installer or the status of your application, which must be confirmed on the official portal.

Full guide: Rooftop Solar Subsidy and Installation Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: phone call, SMS, social media.

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