தவறவிடாதீர்கள்..!உடனே பதிவு செய்யுங்கள்

BY M. MANOCHITRA

The Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) has issued an urgent public warning, advising the beneficiaries of the Aswesuma welfare program to remain highly vigilant against an organized syndicate carrying out financial fraud over the telephone.

In an official emergency statement, the WBB revealed that it has received multiple reports from across the country regarding fraudulent calls. Scammers are cold-calling registered low-income beneficiaries, falsely identifying themselves as senior administrative officers operating from the Aswesuma central headquarters.

Under the pretext of official data verification, profile updates, or securing upcoming financial installments, these callers trick unsuspecting citizens into revealing sensitive personal and banking information. Once the information is obtained, the fraudsters demand immediate cash transfers or processing fees to clear their welfare files. The Welfare Benefits Board explicitly clarified that these deceptive operations are entirely unauthorized and have no connection to the state apparatus. The Board emphasized a foundational rule of the scheme: all official administrative services, updates, registrations, and processing under the Aswesuma welfare program are provided by the government completely free of charge. The WBB never collects fees, charges commissions, or requests cash deposits from beneficiaries under any circumstances.

The public and program recipients are strongly urged to ignore these deceptive calls, protect their private financial data, and never transfer money to unknown bank accounts.

The WBB advised anyone who has already received such suspicious calls to immediately lodge a formal complaint with their respective Divisional Secretariat or contact the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the local police division for immediate action.

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