Modus Operandi of Fraudsters: Fraudsters typically employ several tactics to mislead individuals, which involve the following steps:

1. Initial Contact: Fraudsters use unsolicited SMS, calls, emails, or ads, impersonating PFRDA or NPS/APY to gain trust, offering “higher returns” or “full withdrawals.”

2. Luring Victim with Irresistible Offers: Promises of full corpus withdrawal or unrealistically high returns that are not possible under NPS/APY rules, while creating a sense of urgency offering time-sensitive offers or ways to bypass rules.

3. Requesting Personal and Financial Information: Victims are asked for PRAN, bank details, passwords, or a fee to “unlock” the offer, making it seem legitimate.

4. Redirecting to Fake Websites/Apps: Fraudsters send victims to fake websites or apps that mimic official NPS/PFRDA platforms, collecting sensitive data or payments.

5. Receiving Payments or Sensitive Data: After obtaining bank details and/or payment, fraudsters either drain funds or lock victims out of their accounts.

6. Attempting to “Finalize” the Offer: The scammer claims to finalize the process and keeps the victim hopeful, while continuing to exploit their data and funds.

7. Disappearing or Disconnecting Communication: Once fraudsters have what they want, they cut off communication, leaving the victim without recourse. Fake websites/apps become inaccessible.

8. Further Exploitation (Secondary Scams): Stolen personal details are used for identity theft, access to other accounts, or reselling the data to other criminals for further scams.