EPF online scam alert: Online scams are increasing in India, cyber criminals are adopting new tactics to cheat people. Recently, a Mumbai resident lost Rs 1.99 lakh while a 53-year-old woman was duped of Rs 87,000 while ordering food.
In another instance, a user was duped of Rs 1.14 lakh while selling a juicer on the OLX app. In the latest scam, a case of fraud of Rs 80,000 has come to light from a teacher from her Provident Fund (PF) account.
The victim, a 32-year-old teacher from Navi Mumbai, was searching online for the contact number of the PF office when she came across the fraudster. The scamster, posing as a staff member of the PF office, asked the teacher to download the Airdroid app and enter her account number and MPIN.
Once the fraudster got access to her account, he made 16 transactions and transferred Rs 80,000 to her account. The incident took place last week at 1.30 pm and the victim lodged an FIR at the nearest police station on April 6.
How to defend yourself
To avoid such scams, it is important to get contact numbers only from official websites while searching online. For any work related to PF, PF account holders should visit the official website or branch of EPFO.
Before downloading any app, it is necessary to verify and check its authenticity. This applies to using Aadhaar card or any other document as well as buying and selling food, jobs, anything, and any other lucrative activities.
It is important to exercise caution when using online services and be aware of the different types of scams that exist. By adopting these measures, we can avoid falling prey to online scams and save ourselves from financial loss.
