From 'free Netflix subs' to 'hot chats', how dubious accounts are enticing Twitter users into calling pro-CAA toll free number

From offers of "100 percent guaranteed" jobs to promises of free Netflix subscriptions and mobile internet data to discounts on premium watches and private hot chats, several accounts on Twitter are asking users into sending missed calls to the BJP's toll-free number launched two days ago to register people's endorsement for the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.A quick search of the toll-free number "8866288662", which was launched by the BJP on Thursday, lists out several such messages from Twitter users asking people to sending missed calls to the number.[caption id="attachment_7860661" align="alignnone" width="825"]

A compilation of some of the click-bait messages asking people to send missed call to BJP toll free number 8866288662[/caption]One Twitter user @kapilverma73, citing sources, goes on to tell people that (Prime Minister Narendra) "Modiji would deposit Rs 15 lakhs to their account if they send missed call to 8866288662. "Paisa turant aapke khate mein (the money will come immediately to your account," the user adds.

Another Twitter user @snehal_ind who joined the social media platform in March 2019 promises free Netflix subscription for 6 months to first 100 callers to the number CAA support number 8866288662.   Netflix responded to this particular tweet:In fact, home minister Amit Shah also said at a meeting with BJP workers in Delhi, "Since yesterday, rumours are being spread that the number (toll free number launched by BJP to garner support for the Citizenship Amendment Act) belongs to some channel called Netflix. I would like to clarify that the number never belonged to Netflix, and that it is BJP's toll free number." Some Twitters users also falsely stated that the toll-free number is a platform for people to register their support against the CAA. Others claimed the pro-CAA toll-free number belongs to American born actress Sunny Leone.Another Twitter user @WohCharLog tweeted the number as that of belonging to call girlsm while @reema_sahanii tweeted that 8866288662 is her number and that she would call those who give a missed call to the number.The user tweeted with the hashtag #IndiaSupportCCA.A similar message was shared by @Rmadhurisengar where she dubbed the number as hers.Twitter user @caprashantg shared screenshots of several of these users who have misleading people to giving missed call to the pro-CAA number. Some of those tweets have been deleted. As part of a programme to mobilise support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the BJP had launched the toll-free number on Thursday for people to give missed calls to register their endorsement of the law ahead of the party's 10-day mass contact drive from 5 January. BJP general secretary Anil Jain told PTI that the toll-free number will allow people to register their support for the amended citizenship law, which seeks to grant citizenship to minorities from three neighbouring countries who arrived in India by 31 December, 2014, due to religious persecution. The number is part of BJP's 10-day national campaign between 5 to 15 January to garner support for CAA. According to PTI, president Amit Shah is expected to visit a household on Sunday, most likely in the National Capital, to lead the party's 10-day campaign during which its leaders and workers will contact. The party has said that three crore families to rally support for the CAA.With inputs from PTI