FIR filed over complaints of spoof EPFO website

Accused contacted targets, tried to get their bank details

The Nirmal Nagar police on Monday filed an FIR against unknown persons for creating a spoof website based on a complaint by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

According to EPFO officials, several employees and pensioners had complained that a spoof website with the intention of misleading them had been created by unknown persons. The spoof website had allegedly adopted the design of the EPFO website.

The Nirmal Nagar police said PF subscribers and pensioners started complaining on October 1 that people posing as EPFO officials were making calls to them asking them to reveal sensitive bank details. The EPFO initiated inquiries and found that the complainants while searching for the EPFO’s number on Google, were directed to a hoax website. The website had the real address of the EPFO and its office timings, but the contact number given was fake.

The EPFO officials approached the Nirmal Nagar police last week and submitted details of its inquiries. Senior Police Inspector Subhash Jadhav said, “Based on the complaint submitted by the EPFO, we registered an FIR against unknown persons on Monday.”

Police Sub Inspector Girish Chavan, who is investigating the case, said that the accused have been booked for cheating and impersonation under the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

Mr. Chavan said, “According to the EPFO, scores of people have registered complaints. Three people have submitted written complaints about unknown persons posing as EPFO officials coaxing them into revealing sensitive bank account details. All the complainants, realised that they were being fooled and hung up, after which they informed the EPFO. We have copies of the three complaints and are looking into the matter.”

The Cyber Crime Cell of the Nirmal Nagar police have now initiated the process of contacting Google to find out how the accused managed to insert fake contact numbers on the website.

An officer with the Cyber Police Station in BKC, which has also been instructed to conduct parallel inquiries into the matter, said that the accused might have ‘spoofed’ the EPFO website.

A cyber police officer said, “Provident Fund subscribers and pensioners routinely need to approach the EPFO for various reasons and might have ended up calling the fake number.

“The accused appear to have contacted the targets and tried to get their bank details. Contact details can also be obtained through emails or SMSes which have a link that directs the targets to the spoof website.”