EPFO Warns Members Against Third-Party Services to Protect Financial Data
EPFO Issues Warning to Members
New Delhi, June 16: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has issued a warning to its members, advising them to refrain from using third-party companies or agents for EPFO-related services. Engaging with these unauthorized entities could jeopardize their financial information, as stated in an official announcement made on Monday.
It has come to light that numerous cybercafe operators and fintech firms are charging EPFO members hefty fees for services that are officially provided at no cost. The EPFO clarified that these services are straightforward and can be accessed directly by members without any intermediaries.
In many instances, these operators are merely utilizing the EPFO’s online grievance portal, which any member can access independently and free of charge from their own homes.
EPFO has strongly encouraged all members, employers, and pensioners to make use of the online services available via the EPFO portal and the UMANG app.
All services offered by EPFO, including claim submissions, transfers, KYC updates, and grievance handling, are completely free. Members should avoid paying any fees to third-party agents or cyber cafes for services that are readily available online. For any issues, members can reach out to EPFO helpdesks or Public Relations Officers at Regional offices, as listed on the official website.
The statement emphasized that EPFO has a comprehensive grievance monitoring and resolution system, where member grievances are logged on CPGRAMS or EPFiGMS portals and tracked until resolved within a specified timeframe. In the fiscal year 2024-25, EPFO received 1,601,202 grievances through EPFiGMS and 174,328 through CPGRAMS, with 98% resolved within the designated timelines.
To enhance service delivery, EPFO has implemented several reforms aimed at making its services quicker, more transparent, and user-friendly for all stakeholders. These initiatives reflect EPFO’s dedication to providing hassle-free, secure, and efficient services.
Recently, EPFO has issued circulars to simplify KYC processes and member detail corrections, as well as to streamline the submission of transfer claims. The functionality for automatic settlement of advance claims up to ₹1 lakh has also been deployed, along with the Centralised Pension Payment System (CPPS) to ease the pension disbursement process.
The limit for the Auto Claim settlement facility has been raised to ₹1 lakh for advances related to illness, housing, marriage, and education, leading to 23.4 million claims being settled automatically in FY 2024-25. The transfer claim process has been simplified since January 15 of this year by eliminating the need for employer approvals in most cases.
The online facility for correcting member profiles has been made easier through Aadhaar authentication, reducing reliance on employers and EPFO for such corrections. The online de-linking feature allows members to unlink incorrect member IDs from their Universal Account Number (UAN), thereby decreasing grievances.
The allotment and activation of UAN are now facilitated through the UMANG app using Face Authentication Technology (FAT), granting members immediate access to EPFO services such as passbook viewing, KYC updates, and claim submissions.
EPFO has also eliminated the requirement to upload images of cheque leaves or attested bank passbooks for faster online claim settlements and to minimize claim rejections. Additionally, the need for employer approval for linking bank account details with UAN has been removed as of April 2025.