Fake Maryam Nawaz Eidi Scheme Goes Viral, It Is a Scam Designed to Steal Your Data

Every Eid, scammers follow the same playbook. They attach a real political name to a fake financial promise, build a website that looks vaguely official, and flood WhatsApp groups with links before anyone stops to verify. This Eid is no different. A viral claim is currently circulating across Pakistan, announcing a fake Maryam Nawaz Eidi Scheme that promises Rs. 5,000 in direct cash to eligible Punjab residents via Easypaisa or JazzCash. The story has been picked up by dozens of third-party websites and spread through WhatsApp forwards, Facebook posts, and YouTube thumbnails.

PhoneWorld checked. The Punjab government has made no such announcement. The scheme does not exist.

The Claim: What Is Being Shared

The viral posts describe a detailed-sounding government programme:

• Rs. 5,000 direct cash transfer to Easypaisa or JazzCash
• Open to Punjab residents aged 12 and above
• Requires CNIC (18+) or B-Form (12–17)
• Registration via an “official Punjab portal” or SMS shortcode
• Verification SMS promised after submission

It reads convincingly. It has the right terminology. It uses real platform names. That is exactly what makes it dangerous.

We checked. No Such Scheme Has Been Announced.

PhoneWorld verified across all official channels:

There is no press release. No official notification. No verified social media post from the CM Punjab office or Punjab IT Board. Nothing on any .gov.pk domain. The scheme exists only on third-party content websites and in WhatsApp forwards.

The Website Behind It, govtpunjab.com.pk

The primary source pushing this fake scheme is a website called govtpunjab.com.pk. It is designed to look like an official Punjab government portal. It is not.

Here is what PhoneWorld found when we investigated the site directly:

1. The domain is not government-issued. Pakistan’s official government websites use the punjab.gov.pk domain, issued and controlled by the Punjab IT Board. The domain govtpunjab.com.pk is a privately registered commercial domain. Any member of the public can register a .com.pk domain; it carries zero government authority or verification.

2. The site is built on WordPress. Pakistan’s official government portals run on dedicated, secured government infrastructure managed by PITB. This site runs on WordPress, a standard blogging platform. That alone disqualifies it as an official government channel.

3. It promotes gambling and spin-to-earn apps. This is the most revealing detail. Buried in the site’s own “About” section, visible to anyone who reads it, are direct links and promotions for apps including PKRSPIN, W567, S9 Game, and BK999. These are online gambling, spin-to-earn, and real-money game apps. A legitimate government welfare portal would never, under any circumstance, promote gambling applications alongside citizen relief schemes.

4. It is a traffic farm monetized through ads and app referrals. The site’s business model is straightforward: publish content around high-search government scheme keywords, drive traffic from WhatsApp and social media, and earn revenue through display advertising and app referral commissions. The “scheme” content is bait. The real product is your click and potentially your data.

5. No verifiable contact information Genuine government portals list official department addresses, officer names, and NADRA or PITB integration details. This site has a generic contact form and nothing more.

What the Scam Is Actually After

Beyond ad revenue, schemes like this serve a more serious purpose: harvesting CNIC numbers and mobile phone data at scale.

Think about the registration flow being promoted:

• Enter your 13-digit CNIC number
• Enter your mobile number
• Select your mobile wallet (Easypaisa or JazzCash)
• Submit

That is a complete personal data profile, national ID number, phone number, and mobile wallet platform, handed voluntarily by citizens who believe they are applying for government money. This data has real value. It can be used for SIM swap fraud, mobile wallet takeover, identity impersonation, and targeted phishing.

With Eid approaching and financial pressure on millions of households at its annual peak, the timing is not coincidental. Scammers know that desperation reduces skepticism.

Why It Spreads So Fast

Three factors make this type of scam particularly effective in Pakistan’s current information environment:

Political name recognition: Attaching CM Maryam Nawaz’s name to the scheme instantly adds perceived credibility. People associate the name with real welfare programmes that do exist, like Himmat Card, Parwaz Card, and previous Rashan schemes.

WhatsApp as a verification-free channel: Most Pakistanis receive news through WhatsApp groups where links are shared without source-checking. There is no algorithm, no fact-check label, and no editorial filter.

Search engine visibility: Sites like govtpunjab.com.pk aggressively target SEO keywords around government schemes. When someone searches “Maryam Nawaz Eidi Scheme” on Google, these third-party sites rank high, creating a false impression of legitimacy.

How to Spot a Fake Government Scheme

Before you apply for or share any government financial scheme, run through this checklist:

If any one of these fails, do not proceed. Do not share.

What to Do If You Already Submitted Your CNIC

If you entered your CNIC number or mobile details on govtpunjab.com.pk or any similar site:

• Contact your mobile wallet immediately; call Easypaisa (3737) or JazzCash (4444) and flag potential unauthorized access
• Change your mobile wallet PIN right away
• Inform your mobile network operator and request a SIM activity check
• Do not click any follow-up SMS links that claim to be verification messages from the scheme
• Report the website to PTA at complaints.pta.gov.pk

The Real Punjab Government Channels

If and when a genuine Eid relief scheme is announced by the Punjab government, it will appear here first: