Government Scheme Impersonation Scams: PM-Kisan, EPFO, and Fake Tax Refund Calls
TL;DR: Scams impersonating PM-Kisan, EPFO, and the Income Tax Department follow the same basic pattern: a message or call claims you're owed money, then asks for your UAN, PAN, Aadhaar, or OTP to "release" it. Government agencies do not call or message asking for these details to process a payout.
👉 See if your data's already leaked — free 30-second check →
Government scheme impersonation works because the underlying schemes are real, well-known, and involve genuine money — which makes a fake version easy to believe.
How the EPFO version works
A common variant is a fake website or forwarded message claiming a lump sum (past versions have cited amounts like ₹80,000) is owed to anyone who worked during a specific period, with a link to "check eligibility." The link leads to a fake site designed to harvest your UAN, PAN, or Aadhaar. EPFO has repeatedly and publicly stated it never asks members to share account details over the phone, and never calls asking anyone to deposit money into any bank account to release funds.
How the PM-Kisan and other scheme versions work
Similar scripts circulate around PM-Kisan installments, subsidy schemes, or pension payouts — a message claims your next installment is "on hold" pending verification, with a link or callback number that leads to a request for Aadhaar, bank details, or an OTP.
How the fake tax refund version works
A message or email claims you're owed an income tax refund and asks you to "confirm your bank details" or click a link to a fake e-filing portal login. The Income Tax Department does not request bank login credentials or OTPs via SMS or email to process a refund.
The pattern across all three
- A believable amount of money you're supposedly owed.
- A link to a site that visually resembles the real government portal but has a different URL (never ending in .gov.in for genuine sites).
- A request for identifying details (UAN, PAN, Aadhaar) or an OTP to "release" the funds.
How to verify independently
- Go directly to the official portal by typing the URL yourself — epfindia.gov.in, pmkisan.gov.in, or incometax.gov.in — never through a link in a message.
- Check the agency's official social media handle for fraud advisories; EPFO and other agencies routinely post warnings about active scam campaigns.
- Call the agency's listed helpline number from their official website, not a number provided in the message.
If you've already shared details
If you shared your Aadhaar, PAN, or UAN, follow the lockdown steps in You Shared Your Aadhaar or PAN With a Scammer. If you shared an OTP or any money moved, call 1930 immediately — see the Golden Hour guide. To understand why OTP-sharing specifically is the point of no return in most of these scripts, see Why You Should Never Share an OTP. A Scan My Shadow report checks what's already exposed about your phone number and email. This is one entry in our running field guide to what's actually circulating right now — see Common Scams in India Right Now (2026) for the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does EPFO ever call asking for UAN, PAN, or bank details?
No. EPFO has repeatedly stated it never asks members to share account details over the phone and never calls asking anyone to deposit money to release funds.
How can I tell a real government scheme website from a fake one?
Type the official URL directly rather than clicking a link in a message, and confirm it ends in .gov.in — fake sites often use close look-alike domains that don't.
Does the Income Tax Department ever ask for bank login details by SMS or email?
No. Legitimate tax refund processing never requires you to submit bank login credentials or an OTP through a message or email link.
What should I do if I already clicked a fake scheme link?
Don't enter any information if you haven't already. If you have entered Aadhaar, PAN, or banking details, follow the relevant lockdown steps and monitor your accounts closely.
Are these scams seasonal?
Some spike around specific windows — tax refund scams often increase during filing season, and scheme-payout scams can spike around real disbursement announcements — but versions of all three circulate year-round.
Curious what's already out there about you? Scan My Shadow checks your phone number and email across 1,500+ sources and sends you a clear report — no guesswork, just facts. Start your scan.
- Results within about 5 minutes
- Clear, plain-English report
- Delivered straight to your inbox
- No login or passwords required
- Scan data deleted after report is generated