Pune: A fraudulent Provident Fund (PF) scam has been uncovered in Pune, where a non-existent company was used to open 104 PF accounts in the names of unsuspecting workers. The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) was unaware of the fraudulent accounts until some workers received threatening social media messages asking them to withdraw money and close their accounts.
This revelation led to a formal complaint at Wanawadi Police Station, and authorities are now investigating the matter.
The accused, Sitaram Thakan Singh, owner of Shri Ganesh Enterprises, allegedly registered a fake company on the EPFO website. According to police reports:
Singh applied for company registration on December 23, 2020, and was assigned a unique EPFO registration number.
Using this number, he opened 104 PF accounts online under the company's name.
These accounts were created without the knowledge or consent of the workers.
The fraud came to light in June 2024, when 11 employees working under different "Shri Ganesh Enterprises" firms emailed the EPFO, stating that they never worked for this company and had no knowledge of these PF accounts.
Threat Messages and Blackmail Attempt
Adding to the fraud, an unknown individual sent threatening messages via social media, urging workers to withdraw money from the fake accounts. It is suspected that this person was attempting to extort money from the victims.
Police Investigation Underway
A case has been registered against Sitaram Thakan Singh under various sections related to financial fraud. Authorities are investigating:
How the fraudulent accounts were created and managed.
Whether any other individuals or companies were involved.
The extent of financial losses caused by the scam.
Officials are also working to identify the person behind the blackmail messages.
