PF fraud concerns led to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to warn its subscribers about the potential threat of online fraud. India has over 5 crore PF account holders.
Warning and advise for PF account holders
EPFO has asked members not to share any information about their PF account over the phone or on social media, even if the other party pretends to be a representative of the organisation.
Fraud recognition
The PF authority clarified that it never asks subscribers to share personal information such as Aadhaar, PAN, UAN, Bank Account, or OTP over the phone, WhatsApp, or social media.
Who is most vulnerable?
People switching jobs are at greater risk of falling prey to such frauds and need to be extra cautious as PF accounts are often targeted in phishing attacks, where malicious individuals dupe people into sharing crucial details to gain access to their pension funds.