A fake free solar panel scheme scam in Pakistan usually arrives as an SMS or WhatsApp message claiming you have been selected for a free solar system under a government scheme. The message may use the name “Roshan Gharana” or “PM Solar Scheme”, show a government logo, and ask you to click a link, send your CNIC number, or pay a small “registration fee” through JazzCash or Easypaisa. It looks like help with your electricity bill. It is a trap built to steal your money and your personal details.
The scam works because a real government scheme exists with a similar name, so the message feels believable. The Punjab government’s Roshan Gharana programme really does give free solar systems to low-consumption households — which is exactly why criminals copy its name. The difference is simple: the real scheme never asks you to pay a fee, and it never registers people through random WhatsApp numbers or lookalike websites.
How the scam works
The scam usually follows one of four patterns:
- The “you have been selected” message. You receive an SMS or WhatsApp message saying you have been chosen for a free 5kW solar system under the “PM Solar Scheme 2026” and must apply before seats run out. The link leads to a website that looks like a government portal. It asks for your CNIC number, electricity bill reference number and bank details, and then for a verification code. Every detail you enter goes to the criminals.
- The fake registration website. Fraudsters build websites with names like “solar-panel-scheme-2024.blogspot.com” and share them in WhatsApp groups and on Facebook. Geo Fact Check investigated one such viral website and confirmed it was fake: the Punjab government’s project director for the Roshan Gharana programme said at the time that registration had not even started, and that all such circulating websites were fraudulent. The site redirected visitors to advertising pages after collecting their details.
- The paid “agent” or “priority processing” fee. A person posing as a scheme agent says your application needs a registration, booking or “priority processing” fee — often a few thousand rupees sent to a personal JazzCash or Easypaisa number. Once the money is sent, the agent disappears. The real scheme is free to apply for, and winners are chosen by a computerized ballot, so no agent can guarantee your selection.
- The fake DISCO or installer visit. Someone claiming to be from your electricity distribution company or an approved installer says your free system is ready and asks for an installation or security deposit in advance. Real installations under the scheme do not work this way, and no official asks for payment through a personal mobile wallet.
In each version, the criminals are after the same things: an advance payment you will never get back, or your CNIC and bank details, which can be used for identity fraud and other scams.
The real scheme versus the fake one
The real CM Punjab Free Solar Panel Scheme, known as the Roshan Gharana programme, was launched in March 2024. In its first phase, the Punjab government planned to distribute 50,000 solar systems to low-consumption households, with a budget of Rs 12.6 billion, and to choose recipients through balloting. Households using up to 200 units of electricity a month were the target group.
Here is how to tell the real scheme from the fake one:
- The official portal is cmsolarscheme.punjab.gov.pk. Any other website asking you to register is not official, even if it uses government logos, the Chief Minister’s photo or green colours.
- The official SMS channel was 8800. Registration details were sent to 8800, the number announced by the Punjab government. Do not send your CNIC to any other number advertised on Facebook, WhatsApp or TikTok.
- Registration was free. The real scheme charged nothing to apply. Anyone asking for a fee is running a scam.
- Winners were picked by ballot. Nobody can move your name up the list or add it after the ballot, for any amount of money.
- Registration is now closed. As of September 2026, the official portal says registrations for the scheme are closed, and you can only check your ballot result there. Any message offering to register you now is not official.
By June 2026, news reports said around 90,000 households had already received solar systems under the scheme. That does not mean new registration is open — it means the scheme is being delivered to people who applied during the official window.
Red flags to watch for
- An SMS or WhatsApp message saying you have been “selected” for a free solar system, from a random mobile number.
- A link to a website that is not cmsolarscheme.punjab.gov.pk, especially a blogspot or lookalike domain.
- Anyone asking for a registration, booking, installation or “priority” fee through JazzCash, Easypaisa or a personal bank account.
- A request for your CNIC photo, bank details or an OTP over WhatsApp or a web form.
- An “agent” outside a DISCO office who claims he can fast-track or guarantee your selection for a fee.
- Urgency — “apply today or lose your seat” — designed to stop you from checking the official portal.
- A message about a “new” registration window in 2026, when the official portal says registrations are closed.
What to do if you already paid or shared details
- Stop immediately. Do not send more money and do not share any more details, even if the person threatens that your application will be cancelled.
- Contact your bank or wallet provider and ask them to block the transaction if it is still possible. Save screenshots of the message, the payment and the phone number.
- Report the number to PTA through the complaint form at complaint.pta.gov.pk or the toll-free number 0800-55055, so the number can be blocked.
- File a complaint with the NCCIA (National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency) at complaint.nccia.gov.pk or by visiting the nearest NCCIA office. Bring the screenshots and payment receipts.
- Watch your accounts. If you shared your CNIC or bank details, monitor your bank account and mobile wallet closely, and ask your bank to place extra checks on your account.
How to protect yourself
- Check the official portal first. Before believing any solar scheme message, open cmsolarscheme.punjab.gov.pk yourself — type the address, do not click the link in the message — and check whether registration is open and what your ballot result says.
- Never pay to apply. The real scheme is free. A fee of any kind, for any reason, means it is a scam.
- Never send your CNIC or OTP to a stranger. Your CNIC number and the codes your bank sends you are the keys to your identity and your money. No government scheme collects them over WhatsApp.
- Verify through your DISCO office. If someone claims to be from LESCO, MEPCO, FESCO or another distribution company, call the company’s official helpline or visit its office instead of trusting the caller’s number.
- Warn your family. Elderly relatives and people who do not follow scheme news closely are the most likely to trust a message carrying a government logo. Tell them the rule: free scheme, no fee, official portal only.
- Report every fake message. Reporting the number to PTA and the NCCIA (helpline 1799) costs you a few minutes and can stop the same criminals from targeting your neighbours.
The same tricks appear in other government-name scams. A fake electricity bill message uses a disconnection threat to rush you into paying, as explained in our guide to the fake electricity bill scam in Pakistan. Fraudsters also misuse the names of PTA and BISP — see how the fake PTA DIRBS tax SMS scam and the BISP 8171 SMS scam work. Students are targeted the same way with fake grants, covered in our article on the fake scholarship scam in Pakistan, and prize draws are another common cover, as in the fake prize call scam in Pakistan.
A free solar system is a real benefit for eligible households — but only through the official portal, only during an official registration window, and only for free. If a message asks for money, your CNIC photo or an OTP, it is not the government. It is a scam.