EPFO PF Withdrawal and Pension Scam

Callers offer to speed up your PF claim or release a stuck pension for a fee, and ask for your UAN login and OTP to take over the account.

Employees changing jobs and retirees often wait for provident fund money, and scammers target that wait. A caller says your PF claim is stuck, a pension has been approved, or your UAN needs updating. They offer to fix it for a fee or ask for your UAN password and the OTP. The aim is control of the account and the money in it, or at least a fee for doing nothing.

How the scam works

The scammer finds people through job portals, social posts about PF issues, or bought lists of employees. They call with a professional manner and use correct sounding words like UAN, claim settlement and KYC seeding. Some pretend to be agents of a department office. They know your employer or last company, which they learned from public profiles, so the call feels informed.

The pressure is a timing problem. The caller says your claim will be rejected unless a fee or an update is done today, or that a pension is approved but needs a small release charge. People who need the money to meet expenses are more likely to agree. They are told to share the OTP that arrives, so the caller can 'complete your KYC' on the portal.

The payoff comes in two ways. One is a direct fee paid by UPI to someone who does nothing. The other is account takeover: with your UAN and OTP, the scammer changes your registered mobile number or bank details and submits a withdrawal to an account they control. You may find out only when the funds you expected never arrive or the passbook shows a claim you never filed.

An example of what you may see

Example call (invented): 'Sir, I am calling from the provident fund office. Your claim is pending because KYC is not seeded. If you want it settled today, tell me your UAN and the OTP on your phone. A small processing fee of Rs 2,500 is also needed for release.' The call mixes jargon, a deadline, an OTP request and a fee. Genuine offices never ask for your OTP or a private payment over the phone.

This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.

Red flags

• A caller says your PF claim is stuck and offers to fix it.
• They ask for your UAN password or an OTP.
• A processing or release fee is requested.
• They want payment to a personal UPI ID.
• They know your employer but not your claim number.
• You are told the claim will be rejected today.

What to do right now

1. Hang up and do not share your UAN login or OTP.
2. Check your claim only on the official member portal, typed by hand, or through the official app.
3. If needed, visit the local office or use the official grievance option.
4. Change your portal password if you shared any detail.
5. Report the number on Sanchar Saathi.

If you already paid or shared a code

1. Call 1930 right away if you paid by UPI or bank transfer.
2. Check the registered mobile number and bank details on the official member portal and change them if altered.
3. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with call details and payment proof.
4. Tell your bank through the number on your card if you shared any card detail.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.

Where this scam shows up

Read how it looks on each channel:

How Safeavio helps

Safeavio Sentinel's scam check can read a message or note you paste from a caller's WhatsApp and flag fake authority, a fee demand and an OTP request. Money Shield asks questions before you send money, such as who is asking and whether you contacted them first. It cannot see your PF account or the status of a claim, so use the official portal for that.

• Scam checks
• Identity protection

Questions people ask

Other scams in this group

Also known as: PF claim agent fraud, EPF UAN update scam, pension release fee scam, provident fund fake call. More fake government and police scams