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Key Points

The Indian government has exposed a fraudulent website attempting to deceive citizens by falsely presenting itself as an authorized body for national awards. PIB released a critical fact-check alert warning the public about the fake site https://brs.inc, which claims to confer prestigious honors like Bharat Ratna. Officials emphasize that the website has no legitimate government connection and may be attempting monetary fraud or identity theft. Citizens are advised to verify award information only through official government channels.

Key Points: Govt Warns Public About Fake Bharat Ratna Awards Website

  • Government identifies fake website https://brs.inc claiming to confer national awards
  • PIB warns citizens against potential fraud scheme
  • No official affiliation with government departments
  • Urges verification through official channels
2 min read

Govt busts fake website peddling prestigious national awards

PIB exposes fraudulent website falsely claiming to issue prestigious national awards like Bharat Ratna and Padma honors

"This website is NOT associated with the Government of India. Stay alert and avoid falling for such scams. - PIB Fact Check"

New Delhi, May 23

The Centre has flagged a fraudulent website falsely claiming to be an official body authorised to confer some of the country's highest civilian honours, including the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan, and the Padma Bhushan.

In a post on X on Friday, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) warned citizens about the fake website -- https://brs.inc -- which deceptively presents itself as a "semi-structured government organisation" with official recognition.

"A fake website, https://brs.inc, falsely claims to be a semi-structured government organisation recognised and authorised by the Government of India," PIB said in a fact-check alert.

"It also claims to confer prestigious national awards such as Bharat Ratna Samman, Padma Vibhushan Samman, Padma Bhushan Samman, etc," the PIB post said.

The government clarified that the website in question has no affiliation with any official department or ministry, and does not have the authority to confer any national honours.

It has advised the public to remain vigilant against such fraudulent entities and to verify any award-related information through official channels only.

"This website is NOT associated with the Government of India. Stay alert and avoid falling for such scams. For any GOI-related queries, contact + 91 8799711259," the post further reads.

The fake website's homepage, dressed in official-looking language, states: "Bharat Ratna Sammaan is an esteemed body formed with the motive of honouring those great personalities who have contributed a lot towards society and in different fields at large in Bharat... one should be allowed to be exceptional and receive the recognition one deserves."

Officials warned that such wording is deliberately misleading, mimicking government language to lend credibility to a scam. The website may be attempting to lure individuals into monetary fraud or identity theft under the pretence of granting awards.

The PIB urged citizens to contact its fact-checking unit or visit https://pib.gov.in for any queries related to government initiatives or honours, and not to fall prey to unauthorised portals.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Rajesh K.
Shocking to see fraudsters using our most prestigious awards for scams! 😡 The government should take strict action against these people. Bharat Ratna is not something to be played with - it's our nation's highest honor earned by legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar.
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Priya M.
Good that PIB flagged this quickly. But I wonder how many people might have already fallen for this scam? The website looks quite convincing with all that official-sounding language. We need more awareness campaigns about such frauds, especially targeting senior citizens who might be more vulnerable.
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Amit S.
This is really shameful. These awards represent the highest recognition of service to our nation. The cyber crime cell should track down these fraudsters and make an example of them. Maybe the government should also create a verified portal listing all authentic award nomination processes to prevent such confusion.
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Sunita R.
While this is concerning, I must say the government's response time has improved. Remember how such scams used to go unnoticed for months? The fact-checking unit is doing good work. But we citizens also need to be more careful - always check for .gov.in domains for official matters.
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Vikram J.
The audacity of these scammers! 🤬 Using national honors for fraud shows how low people can stoop for money. I hope the IT ministry blocks this website immediately. On a positive note, the awareness created by this incident might actually help people recognize similar scams in future.
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Neha P.
This makes me wonder - how many other fake government portals might be operating? Maybe there should be a centralized verification system where all authentic government websites are listed. Also, the awards process could be more transparent to prevent such impersonations. Just a thought!

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