EPF online scam alert: Teacher loses Rs 80,000 from PF account, know tips for keeping your account safe

Online scams are on the rise in India, with cyber criminals using new tricks to cheat people. Recently, a Mumbai resident lost Rs 1.99 lakh, while a 53-year-old woman was cheated 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. The latest scam involves cheating a teacher out of Rs 80,000 from her Provident Fund (PF) account.

The victim, a 32-year-old female teacher from Navi Mumbai, was searching for the contact number of the PF office online when she was targeted by the fraudster. The scammer, posing as a PF office staff member, asked the teacher to download the AirDroid app and enter her account number and MPIN. Once the scammer had access to her account, he made 16 transactions and transferred Rs 80,000 to his account.

This incident occurred during the last week at 1:30 pm, and the victim filed an FIR in the nearest police station on April 6. To avoid such scams, it is important to only get contact numbers from official websites when searching online. PF account holders should visit the official website or branch of EPFO for any work related to PF. Before downloading any app, it is essential to verify it and check its authenticity. This applies to using Aadhaar cards or any other document, as well as ordering food, jobs, buying and selling anything, and any other tempting activities.

It is crucial to exercise caution while using online services and be aware of the various types of scams that exist. It is also essential to keep up to date with the latest scams and take necessary precautions to safeguard personal and financial information. By following these measures, we can avoid falling prey to online scams and protect ourselves from financial loss.

Read more: EPFO: Easy withdrawal of PF funds with UMANG app, step-by-step guide