EPFO issued a strict warning to its crores of members to stay away from ‘third party’ agents. EPFO has clearly said that for services related to PF accounts, use only EPFO’s online platforms so that your highly confidential information is not shared with anyone else and you can avoid any kind of fraud or cheating.
The Ministry of Labor has said that EPFO has made many improvements to make all its services fast, transparent, and easy. EPFO has more than 7 crore members, who are employees or former employees of various private and government companies. Let us understand this warning in detail, know how these agents are cutting your pocket, and how the Grievance Redressal System of EPFO works so that you can stay safe.
How ‘third party’ agents are cutting your pocket
According to the statement of EPFO, it has been observed that many cyber cafe operators or fintech companies are charging huge amounts from EPFO members for the services that are provided by EPFO free. This is a matter of serious concern, as this wastes the hard-earned money of hard-working people.
Money for free services
In many cases, these operators just use the online complaint platform of EPFO, which any member can also use for free. But for this, they charge.
Risk of financial data
EPFO has clearly warned that contacting third-party companies or agents for EPFO-related services may make your financial data public. This creates a huge risk of your personal and bank information falling into the wrong hands, which can lead to fraud or identity theft.
Unauthorized entities
Most importantly, these external entities are not authorized by EPFO. This means that any transaction done or information shared through them is not safe and EPFO does not take any responsibility for it.
EPFO’s strong complaint redressal system
According to the statement of the Ministry of Labor, EPFO has a very strong complaint monitoring and redressal system, which resolves the complaints of the members in a timely and effective manner.
Platforms to register complaints
Members can register their complaints on CPGRAMS (Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System) or EPFIGMS (EPFI Grievance Management System) platform. These complaints are monitored till they are resolved satisfactorily.
Redressal of complaints
In the financial year 2024-25, a total of 16,01,202 complaints were received in EPFIGMS and 1,74,328 complaints were registered in CPGRAMS. 98 percent of these complaints were resolved within the time limit, which shows the efficiency of EPFO’s grievance redressal system. This figure shows that EPFO is committed to improving its services and solving the problems of its members.
Why use online platforms for EPFO services
EPFO provides many online facilities to its members so that they can do work related to their PF accounts easily and securely. Using the online platform, you send your information directly to EPFO, which reduces the risk of data leak or fraud. Most of the services of EPFO are free online.
You don’t need to pay anyone for withdrawal, viewing passbook, changing nominee, or filing a complaint. The online system keeps a record of every transaction and activity, ensuring transparency. You can access these services from home or anywhere with an internet connection. You don’t need to visit a cyber cafe or wait for an agent.