PAN 2.0: The central government has recently revealed an enhanced edition of the Permanent Account Number, or PAN card, to introduce new functionalities for the nation’s taxpayers. Nonetheless, this recent initiative has drawn the attention of cybercriminals and fraudsters who are utilizing different deceptive tactics to swindle individuals seeking to upgrade their current PAN cards to PAN 2.0.
The government has confirmed that current PAN users do not have to reapply for PAN 2.0 upgrades, stating that taxpayers need not take any urgent steps since their current PAN cards are still valid. Officials have encouraged the public to inform about any dubious websites, helpline numbers, or apps to the cybercrime helpline (1930) or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
Fraudulent PAN website
Fraudsters are creating counterfeit websites that imitate the genuine PAN portal. When individuals access these phishing websites, they are prompted to provide personal and financial information, like Aadhaar numbers and banking details, which the scammers can exploit to defraud people of their hard-earned money. Cybercriminals also trick individuals into paying a “processing fee” instead of upgrading their PAN card. These fraudulent websites frequently have the potential to infect your device with malware and possibly ransomware.
Fraudulent call centers
Various reports indicate that scammers have established counterfeit helpline numbers and call centers to contact potential victims, misleading them into believing that their PAN card has been blocked and that urgent action is required to upgrade to PAN 2.0. The fraudsters deceive individuals into revealing their sensitive data like Aadhaar card numbers, banking information, OTPs, etc., which is subsequently utilized to carry out financial fraud.
Counterfeit KYC applications
Cybercriminals have also created and spread harmful applications that assert they provide “required KYC updates” for transitioning to PAN 2.0. These fraudulent apps encourage users to upload scanned versions of their identification documents (PAN, Aadhaar, voter ID), and the scammers then exploit these stolen credentials to trick individuals out of their money. Frequently, these applications also infiltrate the user’s device with harmful software like malware or ransomware, which can be exploited by offenders to obtain sensitive user information.