Imagine, you are sitting comfortably at your home and suddenly you get a call from the recovery agent from the bank – “Sir, the EMI of your loan has bounced!” You are surprised and worried… “Loan? I have not taken any loan at all!” Yes, this scary dream has become the reality of thousands of Indians today. In this era of Digital India, cyber thieves have come up with a new and very dangerous method of fraud, which is called ‘Identity Theft’. In this, thieves take a loan using your PAN card and you are not even aware of it! How does this whole ‘PAN card game’ happen? Fraudsters work in a very clever way: Steal your information: They steal information like your PAN number and date of birth from an insecure website or app. Make fake papers: With your PAN number, they create a fake Aadhaar card or deepfake photo of you with the help of AI. Use of digital loan apps: Then using these fake documents, they take a loan in your name from digital lending apps (Fintech Apps) that give loans within minutes. The entire process is online, so it is very difficult to catch them. How to know that your identity has been stolen? Often people come to know only when it is too late. But you can find out in time. The easiest way – Check your credit report: You can check your credit report for free by visiting websites like CIBIL, Experian, or Equifax. What to look for in the report: This report contains the list of all the loans that are running on your PAN card. If you see any strange or unknown loan in this list, then understand that you have become a victim of this fraud. 3 surefire ways to avoid this ‘PAN card fraud’ Prevention is always better than cure. To keep your identity safe, adopt these 3 habits today: Place a ‘chowkidar’ on the photocopy: Before giving the photocopy of your PAN card anywhere, write on it today’s date and for what purpose you are giving it (eg – ‘only for SIM card’) and cross-sign it. Due to this, that copy will not be able to be used anywhere else. Do not trust everyone: Never share your PAN number and other financial information on any unknown or non-government website. Stay alert: Keep SMS alerts on the website of your bank and credit score. With this, you will know immediately as soon as someone applies for a loan in your name. What to do if you have been cheated? (Take these steps immediately) Call 1930: Without delay, register your complaint immediately on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or by calling the helpline number 1930. Inform the bank: Immediately send a written complaint to the bank or app from which the loan has been taken. Notify the Income Tax Department: You can also go to the portal of TIN-NSDL and lodge a complaint about misuse of PAN card. Remember, in this digital world, your vigilance is your biggest security shield. Is.