8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam alert: What it is and dos and don’ts to avoid getting duped

8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam: The excitement over the 8th Pay Commission and the salary and pension hike it brings is building among central government employees and pensioners. However, scammers are now taking advantage of this situation, and the Centre has warned citizens about a new WhatsApp fraud.

Any news about salary hike and implementation of the 8th Pay Commission naturally grabs the attention of government employees and pensioners, and this is why it is important to check for red flags before you trust anyone.

Fraudsters are seeing an opportunity in this excitement and are circulating WhatsApp messages with APK links that, if clicked, can steal information from your mobile phone and scam you out of money.

The Centre in a recent post on X has flagged this 8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam, asking government employees and pensioners awaiting 8th Pay Commission updates to exercise caution.

What is the 8th Pay Commission scam?

In a post on X, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs, alerted citizens about the potential 8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam. This came after several people received multiple messages from the scam text.

“WhatsApp messages are being sent to government employees in the name of informing them about their salary after the implementation of 8th Pay Commission,” the government said in its post on X.

8th Pay Commission calculator scam — How is it done?

According to the Centre, the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam unfolds in the following order —

• In the message, employees are being asked to download an APK file.
• As soon as the app is installed from the APK file, the scammers gain access to the mobile device.
• After this, money is withdrawn from the bank account.

8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam — Dos and Don’ts

Here is a list of things you should do to avoid the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam on WhatsApp

• Do remember that the government never sends APK files on WhatsApp.
• Do check information related to salary, pension or 8th Pay Commission only on the official government website: https://8cpc.gov.in/
• Do only check news regarding the 8th Pay Commission from verified sources.
• Do verify before you trust. If you get a message from anyone claiming to be your bank or from the government, immediately call your banking representative or dial a government number.
• Do check if you are clicking on any suspicious links. Messages with suspicious links often contain unverified domain names and incorrect grammar. They depict a sense of urgency.

Here is a list of things you should not do to avoid the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator scam —

• Do not trust suspicious messages, as downloading APKs from unverified sources can be dangerous.
• Do not click any links sent to you by unknown or unverified numbers or businesses on WhatsApp.
• Do not share any OTP, UPI PIN, debit card or credit card PIN, bank login details, CVV, or WhatsApp verification code. Legitimate people or businesses will never ask for these things.