Fraudsters can steal your hard-earned money in different ways. There is still a significant risk of online theft for all account users, from online scams requesting details of your PF account to hackers stealing your personal information.
The EPFO recently published a post warning account holders about such schemes. However, certain suggestions can help you prevent a significant loss. PF account holders must know that breaking these restrictions will have bad consequences. If you wish to prevent getting scammed, follow these guidelines:
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Never give out your PAN, UAN account number, or OTP over the phone or on social media.
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Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) account users are never asked for these details over social media or the phone. It's a scam call if you get a call asking for these details.
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Never react to texts from unknown numbers requesting money from the EPFO via Whatsapp or another service.
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The organization will never ask you to pay for a service in advance. Be wary of messages or phone calls advising you to deposit money with the EPFO.
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Do not be afraid to report calls from people pretending to be EPFO members who are requesting money.
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If you receive calls from people claiming to be EPFO members and asking for money, do not hesitate to report them to the police. Do not reply to these calls or messages and report them to the authorities.
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Keep your PAN, Aadhaar, and other important documents safe.
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Remember to use Digilocker to protect all of your papers. To keep your documents safe from hackers, create an account on the website and submit them.
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If you have any troubles while attempting to keep your account secure, you can contact the EPFO using their official website.
