New Delhi — The fact-checking unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has dismissed viral reports claiming that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced fresh guidelines allowing the exchange of discontinued currency notes.
Calling the claims “fake,” the PIB clarified in a post on X that no such announcement has been made by the RBI. It stressed that the central bank has not issued any new rules regarding old or discontinued notes.
The PIB further advised citizens to rely only on the official website of the RBI for authentic and verified updates related to financial regulations and currency matters. It also urged people not to forward unverified messages and to remain cautious of misleading information circulating online.
The fact-check unit encouraged users to report suspicious messages, photos, or videos related to the government through its official verification channels, including WhatsApp and email.
Notably, the PIB had earlier issued a similar clarification in October last year, debunking rumours about new exchange rules for old ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes — currencies that were discontinued during the 2016 Indian demonetisation. It confirmed that no such exchange facility has been reintroduced since then.
In another instance, the PIB also exposed a viral video falsely showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing a high-return investment scheme, warning citizens against falling for such scams.
Additionally, last month, the PIB flagged a fake message claiming that accounts on SBI YONO would be blocked if users failed to update Aadhaar details immediately.
Authorities continue to advise the public to stay vigilant and depend only on trusted, official sources for information.
With inputs from IANS