Your PAN Card can be misused to secure fake loans! Step-by-step guide to prevent PAN fraud

PAN card is one of the most important documents for the people of India. This is because no major financial transactions can take place without a PAN card. It contains an alpha-numeric code that is used by the income tax department to financially identify a person. It also helps the authorities to ensure valid taxes are paid for all major financial transactions. However, there is another side to PAN cards. A lot of people find themselves in the midst of a PAN card fraud. Here's how to check if your PAN card is being misused.

The first and foremost way to know about your PAN card misuse is check your credit score. For that, you can subscribe to CIBIL, Experian and Hard Mark like companies. Some companies charge money for it, others let you check your score for free.

How can your PAN Card be misused? Miscreants can use your PAN card to secure a loan. The liability will come on to the person whose card is being used. Some people can also use your PAN card to make illegal transactions. They can even buy jewellery using your PAN card. Normally, for a transaction of a certain value, a PAN Card is necessary at even the jewellery stores. It can also be used for other nefarious purposes and financial crimes.

Before putting your PAN Number, use the prefix HTTPS. This will show you if the website is SSL certified and the transaction is safe.

If you are providing a copy of the PAN Card, write the date and time on the copy to ensure it can't be misused. 

Don't provide your name and birth date on unverified and untrusted sources. 

Keep checking your credit scores to find out discrepancies. 

If you want to submit a complaint regarding any PAN discrepancy, you can log in to Aaykar Sampark helplines. Here's how to use this.

First of all, visit the official website of TIN NSDL and find the 'Customer Care' section on the home page.
Now on clicking 'Customer Care', click on the 'complaints/queries' tab on the drop-down menu.
Thereafter enter your personal details and describe the nature of the complaint.
After this, by entering the captcha code and submitting the form, your complaint will be registered.