8th Pay Commission calculator scam alert: After Centre, Rajasthan cyber crime police alerts government employees

After the home ministry alerted central government employees about an ongoing fraud where scammers target 8th Pay Commission-bound employees’ bank accounts through fake messages, the Rajasthan Police has also issued a similar advisory.

The cyber Police in Rajasthan has asked employees in the state to not fall victim to the 8th Pay Commission calculator scam where scammers send an online link through WhatsApp to employees, inducing them to click the link and give away their bank details.

Sanjay Agarwal, director general, Rajasthan Police, cyber crime, has urged employees to stay vigilant and avoid opening any suspicious messages, stressing that a single careless tap could result in devastating financial loss.

Agarwal has clarified that the government or any official department never sends APK files or software related to 8th Pay Commission salary calculations on WhatsApp. Downloading apps from unverified sources is like handing the keys of your bank over to thieves. Any information regarding 8th CPC salary or pension is available only on official government portals.

As per Rajasthan Police social media post on X (formerly Twitter), “DGP Agarwal explained that cyber criminals send messages on the WhatsApp of government employees, claiming that their salary will see a massive increase under the new Pay Commission. The message includes a link to a salary calculator to check the increased salary. Pressure is created through this link to download an APK file. As soon as any employee installs this file, complete control of their mobile secretly goes to the scammers. After that, the scammers steal OTP, net banking credentials, and personal information from the mobile and siphon off money from their bank account.”

Do not click on enticing messages or files from any unknown number. If you receive such a message, instead of downloading the file, immediately delete the message and report and block that number. Check your service details only on government websites. Never install any third-party app from outside Google Play Store.

The government has given 18 months of time to the 8th Pay Commission to submit its report. The government, however, has not specified when the implementation date will actually occur. However, whenever the government implements the 8th CPC report, central government employees are most likely to get arrears from January 1, 2026, as has been the tradition in past pay commissions.