Know how to avoid PAN card fraud.
Here’s how you can avoid PAN misuse, how to know if your PAN has been misused and how to report PAN card fraud
Online banking frauds have become very rampant these days, with cyber criminals exploiting account holder’s details or wok Holder fraudulently takes money. The sources of most banking frauds in India are PAN and Aadhaar cards. In the latest incident, cyber criminals issued credit cards after misusing PAN card details of several celebrities including popular cricketer MS Dhoni and actors Shilpa Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Emraan Hashmi. Here’s how their PAN details were accessed and how you can secure your PAN card:
How can you avoid misuse of PAN?
1) Avoid carrying your PAN everywhere. Instead, use other ID details such as Voter ID and Driving License, which are less vulnerable
2) Share your PAN details only with authentic people or companies and sign the photocopy of the same with date
3) Avoid entering your full name and date of birth on online portals. These can be used to track your PAN
4) De-link Aadhaar card and bank accounts, this is no longer a government order
5) Check your credit report regularly for any unknown credit card issuance or loan
6) Avoid keeping the PAN in the gallery of your phone, or where it can be easily accessed in case the phone is lost
How to check whether your PAN card has been used fraudulently or not?
CIBIL Report is the best way to check any fraudulent use of your PAN card. The report includes all your loans and credit cards. If you find any credit card or loan in your CIBIL report that you have not received, inform the authorities immediately. Not only CIBIL, reports from other credit information bureaus can also be accessed such as Equifax, Experian, Paytm, BankBazaar or CRIF High Mark.
How to report misuse of PAN?
Step 1: Visit the official portal of TIN NSDL
Step 2: On the home page find the customer care section, which will open a drop-down menu
Step 3: Open ‘Complaint/Query’ from the drop-down menu. Now, a complaint form will be opened.
Step 4: Fill the required details in the complaint form. Enter the captcha code and click on ‘Submit’.
How were PAN details of celebrities obtained and misused?
The fraudsters obtained the GST details of these celebrities from Google. They knew that the first two digits of GSTIN are the state code and the next 10 digits are the PAN number. Since the date of birth of celebrities is available on Google, these two – PAN and date of birth – complete the PAN details. He fraudulently recreated the PAN card and affixed his photograph on it so that during video verification his look would match with the photograph available on the PAN/Aadhaar card.
He similarly falsified his Aadhaar details. After getting this information, he applied for a credit card. During video verification, he was asked questions related to his financial activities, which he answered with ease as he had received all such details from CIBIL.
They knew that these celebrities could have a good CIBIL score, which would increase their chances of getting a credit card.
FPL Technologies said that these fraudsters approached the company through its app by uploading details such as PAN and Aadhaar number to get ‘One Card’, a credit card issued in their name.
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