Information About How To Check Identity Theft

Do away with the popular misconception that safeguarding the physical copy of your PAN card prevents your PAN number from being misused. Identity theft through PAN card details poses a serious threat to many nowadays. Misuse of your PAN card details for high-ticket purchases or benami property transactions is something that occurs quite frequently these days. Simply a copy of your PAN card or its number can be quoted in transactions which you may not be aware of. The sad part of the fraud is that you may get to know the illegal use of your PAN card only six months after the transaction.

When you get to know such a fraud with your PAN number, you can check for benami transactions by going through 26AS, which is a consolidated statement of tax deducted, along with other details. The Income Tax Department will require you (PAN card holder) to prove that the transaction was not carried out by you, and also give details of your source of income. If you are not a tax-paying PAN card holder, you may not be able to check this form.

You need to take some precautionary measures (don’ts) – not to give PAN card as identity proof if there is some other ID as proof, not to share your PAN number with someone not trustworthy, not to share your date of birth and place of birth with others including social media. On the do’s side you need to register your PAN on the Income Tax official website https://incometax.indiaefiling.go. Such a registration doesn’t mean that you will have to file IT returns compulsorily.

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