Do not share your personal details, bank account, UAN over phone, warns EPFO

You have always been told not to share your bank details and even passwords to various financial apps with others. Now, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has asked EPF members not to share their details with others over the phone. This alert is prominently displayed on the EPFO's website (www.epfindia.gov.in).

This is what it says: "EPFO never asks you to share your personal details like Aadhaar/PAN/UAN/Bank Details etc over Phone. EPFO never calls any member/subscriber to deposit any amount in any bank. Please do not respond to such fake calls."

It is to be noted that till now it was mainly banks and other financial institutions that were warning their customers not to share their OTP, card and other personal details with anyone to avoid falling prey to fraudsters posing as bank employees. However, now EPFO has also issued a similar warning to its members.

It is possible that fraudsters are posing as EPFO officials and asking EPF subscribers to share their EPF account details or asking money to be deposited into a particular bank account to claim their EPF money. And this may have led to the EPFO issuing the above mentioned warning.

EPFO on its Twitter handle is also warning its members not to respond to fake offers by websites, tele calls, SMS, emails social media asking to deposit money into any bank account towards claim settlement, advance, higher pension or any other service provided by the EPFO.


Perhaps fraudsters may call those employees who have put in claims online asking money to process the claim. This is because EPFO allows its members to file claim for withdrawal of money from the EPF account online. It is possible that fraudsters may be using different methods such as calling and posing as EPFO officials or sending phishing emails in order to lure the EPF account holders.