Rajasthan Police issue advisory against cyber fraud in name of upcoming Digital Census

Jaipur: Rajasthan Police’s Cyber Crime Branch on Thursday issued a detailed advisory warning citizens against fraudsters who are posing as Digital Census officials to steal personal data and siphon money from bank accounts, ahead of the Centre’s self-enumeration window that opens on May 1.

The advisory has been issued on the directions of Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) V.K. Singh. Police said criminals have begun approaching residents with fake calls, home visits and phishing links, exploiting the rollout of the Digital Census to extract Aadhaar details, bank credentials and OTPs.

According to the Cyber Crime Branch, fraudsters are relying on three methods. In the first, callers identify themselves as census officers and ask for family, Aadhaar and bank details, before persuading the victim to install screen-sharing applications such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Once installed, the accused take control of the phone and transfer money out of banking apps within minutes.

In the second method, the accused visit homes and pretend to enter information on a tablet. Under the pretext of recording details of a family’s education and facilities, they seek an OTP that is in fact the one-time password for a banking transaction. The third method involves alarming SMS messages — “update your census details or government benefits will be stopped” — accompanied by a link that exposes the recipient to cyber fraud once clicked.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Cyber Crime) Shantanu Kumar Singh said the Government of India’s Digital Census offers a self-enumeration facility that works only through the official portal www.se.census.gov.in. The self-enumeration window will be open from May 1 to May 15, 2026. The census is entirely free, Singh said, and anyone demanding payment through a verification code or QR code is a fraudster.

Police urged residents not to click on suspicious links, to be wary of messages promising “free ration” or government schemes, and not to share OTPs, bank details or Aadhaar information with strangers. Anyone visiting a home claiming to be a census official must be asked for an identity card, and the visit should be confirmed with the area’s Booth Level Officer.

Victims of cyber fraud, or those targeted in an attempted fraud, have been asked to contact the national helpline 1930, the state cyber helpdesk on 9256001930 or 9257510100, the online portal cybercrime.gov.in, or their nearest police or cyber police station without delay.