Focus: 'Fake Circulars' Virus Infects Indian Govt Ministries

Fraudsters are on a rampage and the target is the Union government. Fake circulars, vacancy announcements and appointment letters are spawning across the ministries. And unsuspecting people are falling prey to the scam. 

The police have been activated and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a couple of scamsters. But there are too many of them, it seems, lurking around. 

The Union ministries are baffled with this spurt of fake circulars, announcements and letters.

Recently, a fake circular was issued to all the ministries purportedly from the ministry of finance allegedly on the “revised rates of dearness allowance (DA)”. 


The fake circular stated: “The President is pleased to decide that DA payable to Central government employees shall be enhanced from existing rate of 107 per cent to 113 per cent with effect from 1st January.” 

When the officials traced the fake circular, the ministry issued a fresh memorandum, clarifying that no such revision has been made. 

Department of Expenditure director Subhash Chand told INNLVE: “It has come to the notice of the department of expenditure under the ministry of finance that an office memorandum bearing F. No. 1/2/2015- E.II (B) dated 30th March, 2015 under the signature of A. Bhattacharya, under-secretary, department of expenditure, regarding payment of dearness allowance to Central government employees is being circulated across government departments and offices. 

"It’s a fake memorandum. No such instruction has been issued by the ministry of finance. 

"Accordingly, all ministries and departments and Central government offices have been advised not to take cognisance of these fake instructions. 

"Nobody has signed the memo. It is really worrisome for the government. We have already reported the matter to the police. They are investigating.” 

A similar fake memorandum regarding the overtime allowance to Central government employees was allegedly issued in 2008 purportedly by the ministry of finance. 

In February, under-secretary in the ministry of food processing industries, S.K. Mohanty, issued a public notice warning that the ministry has noticed some miscreants were issuing fake appointment letters and vacancy circulars for a “sarkari call centre” by misusing the government emblem and logo of the ministry.

These unscrupulous elements were also demanding money as a security deposit. However, Mohanty clarified that the ministry doesn’t run any call centre. 

On 14 May, CBI arrested two persons from Haryana and Dehradun in a cheating case relating to fake employment in the Northern Railways.