A fake SMS message has been doing the rounds since Wednesday claiming that the amnesty period has been extended until November, resulting in confusion and anger among expatriates.
Padma Hariharan, director and head of Novel International Group of Institutions, said she received the message from a friend and was about to spread it, but then decided to check the information with a local journalist.
“Such messages should not be believed, and not spread, unless you receive it from an authentic source, such as local newspapers and television. We should not be part of such activities because the circulation of such fake messages will create unnecessary problems,” she said.
She said the message was a "very bad joke" because it was "playing with the feelings of thousands of workers" who have problems and are looking forward to an extension of the amnesty period beyond July 3.
Abdul Malik, a worker, said he thought the message was true. “I breathed a sigh of relief after learning about the so-called extension of the amnesty period but was very sad when I learned it was not true. I sent it to many of my friends, which was not a good thing because it was fake.”
Another expatriate, Hafiz-ur-Rahman, said he and his 20 friends were happy when they received the message. “We even distributed sweets but our joy was short-lived because another friend called and told me the news was fake,” he said.
SMS raises, and dashes hopes of many
