Fake Provident Fund Accounts Scam Uncovered in Pune; FIR Filed Against Firm Owner
Wanowrie, 2nd April 2025: A major fraud involving fake Provident Fund (PF) accounts has been uncovered in Pune, where 104 accounts were created under the name of non-existent workers by a firm that itself did not exist. The scam came to light after some workers received threatening messages on social media, asking them to close their accounts and withdraw funds. Following complaints, an FIR was registered at Wanowrie Police Station against Sitaram Thakan Singh, the owner of Shri Ganesh Enterprises.
According to police and officials from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Singh had registered Shri Ganesh Enterprises on the EPFO website on 23rd December 2020, and obtained a registration number. Using this registration, he opened 104 PF accounts online under fake worker names. In June 2024, 11 employees from various companies named Shri Ganesh Enterprises filed complaints with the EPFO, stating they had never worked for the firm and that their consent had not been taken for opening PF accounts in their names.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Shri Ganesh Enterprises did not exist at its listed address in Sanaswadi. On 31st July 2024, EPFO officials visited the site and confirmed that no such company operated there. The fraudulent creation of PF accounts was traced back to Singh, who also allegedly obtained a fake shop license for his non-existent company. An official report was submitted to EPFO on 1st August 2024, and police were informed eight months later.
The scam raises serious questions about oversight mechanisms at the EPFO. Officials failed to detect irregularities such as the absence of monthly PF contributions by the firm or verify its existence before issuing registration credentials. Investigators are now probing Singh’s motives behind creating fake accounts and securing fraudulent documents.
Police Sub-Inspector Dheeraj Kamble is leading the investigation into the case. Authorities are also examining how Singh managed to bypass checks and whether others were involved in facilitating the fraud.
