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Where there is a subsidy, there are scammers. Learn the common tricks and the simple checks that defeat them.
Image: AMP Energy Bhadla Solar Power Plant - 53699816551 by Sarvajanik Puralekh, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Large government schemes attract opportunists. The PM Surya Ghar rush has produced fake websites, phone callers who claim to be from the scheme and agents who collect "registration fees". Most are easy to defeat if you know the signs. This guide to solar scams and fake agents in Chhattisgarh lists the tricks, the checks and what to do if you are caught.
Quick answer: use only the official portal, never pay anyone to release or guarantee the subsidy, verify the vendor on the portal and in person and insist on a written quotation with named equipment.
| Trick | How it works | How to defeat it |
|---|---|---|
| Fake subsidy websites | Lookalike sites collect your data and fees | Type the official address yourself; registration is free |
| Advance-fee agents | Ask for a fee to release or fast-track subsidy | No legitimate service sells faster subsidy |
| Vanishing installers | Take a large advance and disappear | Pay by milestones; visit the office |
| Unregistered vendors | Promise subsidy but cannot process it | Check the vendor list for your district |
| Zero-bill guarantees | Promise impossible results | Ask for generation estimates in writing |
| Bait pricing | Very low quote, then extras | Ask what is excluded in writing |
| Fake calls and messages | Claim to be from the scheme or distribution company | Hang up; call the official number yourself |
They ask for documents, not secret fees. They give a written quotation, explain the process and timeline and let you verify them. They do not pressure you with deadlines. Our guide to the best solar company in Raipur gives fifteen questions that separate real installers from the rest.
A homeowner receives a call from someone who says they represent the scheme and offers to "approve the subsidy today" for a processing fee of Rs 5,000 sent by UPI. The caller knows the homeowner's name and consumer number, which makes it sound official. The homeowner does not pay. Instead, they log in to the national portal themselves, see that registration is free and find that no fee is needed, and report the number. Later they learn that others in the colony paid and received nothing. Information such as a consumer number is easy to obtain, so knowing a detail does not prove a caller is genuine.
| Genuine | Suspicious |
|---|---|
| Messages come through your portal login | Calls demanding immediate payment |
| No fee to register or to release subsidy | Processing or release fees |
| Written quotation with equipment and terms | Verbal promises only |
| Time to think and compare | Pressure to decide today |
| Office address you can visit | Only a mobile number |
If it sounds too easy, check it twice. If you are comparing providers, start with our guide to the best solar company in Raipur, then ask a solar company in Raipur for a written quote. Our solar installation in Raipur crews work across the city, the solar Raipur area guide explains local roof and shade patterns, and the main solar in Raipur guide covers costs. The full blog has more, and PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur explains the subsidy.
Fake subsidy websites, agents asking for registration or processing fees, installers who take advance payments and vanish, unregistered vendors promising subsidy and unrealistic zero-bill guarantees.
No. Registration on the national portal is free. Be cautious of anyone asking for a fee to register or release the subsidy.
Check the registered vendor list on the national portal for your district, visit the office, ask for references and read the written quotation.
Collect all documents and payment records, report to the police cyber or local station and the consumer forum, and inform the portal helpdesk.
It can be. A price far below market usually omits something, or is bait for later extras. Ask for a line-by-line breakdown.
Visit C-29, Sector 3, Devendra Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, call 083051 31420 or send your details online for a free survey and a written quotation. Our solar installation in Raipur team replies the same working day.
Looking for the best solar company in Raipur? See how solar in Raipur works, check the solar Raipur locality guide and book solar installation in Raipur with a trusted solar company in Raipur. Our checklist for the best solar company in Raipur shows what to ask. Browse every article on the solar blog, or see PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur and our solar services.
We welcome verification: visit the office, ask for references and check portal registration.