Desk Report
Summary: The claim of a shortage of Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 notes ahead of Diwali, spread through social media, has been declared completely fake by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and PIB Fact Check. The RBI has clarified that it issued no such circular and that notes of all denominations are available in sufficient quantity in its vaults and currency chests. Do not trust this rumour before Dhanteras and Diwali shopping, and verify any such message from an official source before forwarding it.
What the viral message claimed
Over the past few days, a message has been spreading fast on WhatsApp and social media, carrying what appeared to be a copy of a circular issued in the name of the Reserve Bank of India. The purported circular was dated 27 October 2026 and titled ‘Important Advisory on Availability of Small Denomination Notes during Diwali’.
The message claimed that, in the name of moving towards a less-cash economy and promoting digital payments, new Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 banknotes might not be available in sufficient quantities during the Diwali festival. The same message advised people to depend on UPI, cards and other electronic modes of payment during the festival.
Because the message used the RBI’s name and logo, it looked like an official notice at first glance. That is why many people accepted it as true and forwarded it, without checking, to their friends, family groups and shopkeepers. A message of this kind, arriving just before a festival, adds to people’s anxiety, because cash transactions in markets already rise sharply around Dhanteras and Diwali.
What the RBI clarified
The Reserve Bank of India issued a clarification on its official social media handle on 2 November, addressing the entire matter. The RBI said that certain elements were fraudulently using the RBI’s name and logo to circulate a forged circular. The forged circular also carried a forged signature in the name of the Governor.
Right at the outset of its clarification, the RBI made it clear that sufficient notes of all denominations, including lower denominations, are available in the RBI’s vaults and currency chests. The RBI added that the content of the forged circular is misleading and should not be believed.
The central bank also asked people to rely, in such matters, on information published by the RBI from time to time. In other words, if the RBI ever issues a genuine notice about the availability of notes, it will appear on the RBI’s official website and its verified channels — not in a WhatsApp forward.
PIB Fact Check calls the claim fake
Alongside the RBI’s clarification, the government’s fact-check unit, PIB Fact Check, also examined the viral message and declared it fake on 2 November. PIB Fact Check said in its message that the claim is false and that the RBI has made no announcement about the availability of small-denomination notes.
PIB Fact Check also advised people to verify claims through official sources before sharing them, and not to forward unverified claims. PIB Fact Check is the official unit that checks misleading news about government-related information, and it keeps a watch on such rumours during the festival season.
With two independent official clarifications — from the RBI and from PIB Fact Check — saying the same thing, no doubt remains in this matter: no announcement about a shortage of Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 notes has been made, and the circular going viral is forged.
What was wrong with the forged circular
This case is also a useful reminder of how forged government notices can be identified, so that no such message is believed blindly in future. The forged circular carried several signs that show up on a simple check.
The first sign was that the circular was available only as a WhatsApp forward. There was no mention of any such circular on the RBI’s official website. A copy of any genuine government circular is available on the official website.
The second sign was the use of the RBI’s name and logo to create trust. Copying a name and logo is an old trick of fraudsters. The third sign was the forged signature in the name of the Governor. The fourth sign was the language of the message, which tried to create panic just before a festival. And the fifth sign was that the message pushed people towards one particular behaviour — depending only on digital payments.
No single sign on its own is enough, but when several signs appear together, questioning the truth of the message is the sensible thing to do.
Why small-note rumours spread fast during festivals
Talk of small-denomination notes heats up every year around Dhanteras and Diwali, and there is a natural reason for it. On Dhanteras, people buy utensils, jewellery and other goods, and on Diwali the markets for gifts, sweets and decorations are at their peak. For shagun, small gifts and small payments, the need for Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 notes goes up.
Shopkeepers worry about change, and customers worry about not getting change at the time of payment. Rumour-mongers take advantage of exactly this worry. In the rush of festival shopping, people forward messages without checking them, and a rumour spreads across a city and a state in no time.
That is also why the forged circular dated 27 October began circulating just before Dhanteras and Diwali. Dhanteras falls on 6 November and Diwali on 8 November, so crowds in markets will only grow in the coming days. In such a situation, spreading correct information matters more than spreading the rumour.
Cash and digital — both options remain open
After the RBI’s clarification, the position is completely clear. There is no shortage of cash, and no restriction or limit of any kind has been announced. This means that during the festival, people can pay in cash as per their convenience, and they can also pay through UPI or cards.
The forged message tried to create the impression that people would be left with no option but digital payments. That impression is wrong. The RBI has placed no restriction on any mode of payment, nor has it issued any warning about the availability of small notes.
This information is reassuring for shopkeepers too. During the festival days, they can accept both cash and digital payments from customers. If a customer mentions a shortage of small notes, the shopkeeper can share the RBI’s clarification with them, so that the misunderstanding is removed.
What to do if you receive such a message
If you receive a message that claims, in the name of any government body, a shortage of notes, the closure of bank accounts or a change in payment rules, first of all do not forward it. Forwarding a message strengthens the rumour, even if your intention is only to alert people.
The second step is to verify the message from an official source. Check the RBI’s official website to see whether any such circular has actually been issued. Such clarifications are also issued on the RBI’s verified social media handles. Apart from this, the truth of any government-related claim can also be checked through PIB Fact Check.
The third step is to pass on the correct information to your family and acquaintances. It is especially important to tell elderly people and those who accept everything on social media as true that the note-shortage claim is fake. If a message keeps coming repeatedly, it can also be reported on the platform concerned.
What next — caution during festivals is the real protection
Between Dhanteras and Diwali, crowds in markets will grow, and forged messages may circulate again. Sometimes it will be a note shortage, sometimes the closure of a scheme, and sometimes a new restriction. All of them have only one cure — verification from an official source.
The good thing in this case is that the RBI and PIB Fact Check issued their clarifications in time, so the rumour could be stopped before it spread further. Now it is people’s responsibility to carry the correct information forward and not let any forged message travel beyond their own chat.
Festivals are an occasion for happiness. There is no need to panic about cash or to shop in a hurry. Notes are available in sufficient quantity, all modes of payment are working normally, and Diwali shopping can be done without any worry.
Disclaimer: This story has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. If any fact is found to be incorrect, a correction will be published.
