Bengaluru: Tempted by rumours of free money, thousands of women rush to post office

In India's Bengaluru, thousands of women on Monday (May 27) rushed to the General Post Office (GPO) to open savings accounts after a rumour that this would get them 8,000 Rs each. The rumour had been circulating on WhatsApp groups, suggesting that political parties were transferring 8,000 Rs in post-office accounts.

The flood of women opening accounts got so bad that the GPO had to deploy additional staff to facilitate the account opening process. Additionally, police had to be called to help regulate the crowds that as per reports started assembling at 3 am.

Rumours galore

Over the last week, rumours were doing the rounds on WhatsApp and RWA that the postal department was depositing money in every single account opened under the India Post Payment Bank.

The rumour suggested that Monday was the last day to avail this benefit, due to which hundreds of women rushed to the GPO.

While some believed that opening an account was the first step to getting the cash incentive, others believed that the programme was already underway and the postal department had started crediting 8,000 into everyone's account.

As per Times of India, HM Manjesh, chief postmaster at the GPO revealed that they had even put up posters at the GPO entry gates "saying there was no such cash incentive programme or initiative announced by the postal department."

In spite of that, hundreds of women swamped the GPO, hoping for a cash incentive.

As per one official at the GPO, while on average they open 100 to 200 accounts every day, "over the last one week, we've been opening 700 to 800 accounts every day at GPO alone".

(With inputs from agencies)