Be cautious while sharing Aadhaar and PAN cards, a small mistake can lead to massive trouble.
In Maharashtra’s Thane district, a shocking case has emerged where a real estate agent was hit with an Income Tax notice for ₹382 crore. The notice came despite his meagre ₹20,000 monthly salary, exposing a major scam involving the misuse of his identity documents.
The scam victim, a resident of Diva in Thane, had unknowingly become part of a massive financial fraud. Fraudsters had used his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and even a signed cheque to set up fake companies and bank accounts. These accounts were later used for money laundering on a large scale, leaving the victim to face the brunt of the law.
The Promise of a ₹20,000 Job Turned Into a Financial Nightmare
In 2022, the victim was lured by an acquaintance who promised him a job that would pay ₹20,000 per month. As part of the process, he was asked to hand over essential documents like Aadhaar, PAN, and other personal information. Trusting the promise, he complied without much thought.
However, those documents were used to create shell companies in his name. The fraudsters opened multiple bank accounts that later saw transactions worth ₹382 crore, all under the unsuspecting victim’s identity.
₹382 Crore Worth Transactions and Fake Firms Unveiled
The massive fraud came to light when the Income Tax Department sent a notice to the victim, questioning the massive financial transactions linked to his name. Completely unaware of these activities, he approached the cyber crime police. A formal case was registered, and investigations revealed that his Aadhaar and PAN were used to facilitate money laundering activities.
Beware: Personal Document Scams Are on the Rise
The police have issued a warning to the public, urging them to be cautious while sharing important documents like Aadhaar and PAN cards. Scams involving personal information are increasing, and many people unknowingly fall prey to such frauds. Fraudsters often create fake firms and accounts using stolen identities for large-scale illegal activities.
Apart from Aadhaar and PAN frauds, there’s also a rise in debit and credit card scams. In this type of fraud, victims receive automated calls about suspicious high-value transactions. The fraudsters, pretending to be bank officials, offer to help with the issue. In reality, these are scam attempts to collect personal information.
Stay alert and never share sensitive documents unless absolutely necessary.
