Fake websites copy the look of government portals to collect fees and personal details. Before you fill in any form, take a minute to confirm you are on the real site.
1. Look at the address
Most central and state government sites end in .gov.in or .nic.in. A few official portals run by banks or agencies use other endings (for example Jan Samarth), so the ending alone is not proof. Treat addresses with extra words such as “apply-online”, “registration-form” or “yojana-2026” with suspicion.
2. Reach it from a trusted starting point
Start from myScheme, india.gov.in or the ministry’s own website and follow the link from there, rather than clicking an advertisement or a forwarded message.
3. Check what it asks you to pay
Registration for most welfare schemes is free. If a site asks for a “registration fee”, “processing charge” or “file charge” through UPI or a personal account, stop and confirm with the local office or a Common Service Centre.
4. Confirm offline when unsure
Your gram panchayat, block office, bank branch or nearest Common Service Centre can tell you whether a scheme is open and how to apply. A short visit can save money and worry.
Every scheme page on YojanaAI links to the official source we used. Browse the directory.