Stay safe › Scams
Loans and SIMs taken in your name
Recovery calls for a loan you never took, or SIMs you never bought. Someone is using your PAN and Aadhaar.
How it works
Your PAN and Aadhaar details leak through photocopies, fake loan agents, data breaches or phishing. Fraudsters use them to take instant loans from apps and finance companies, or to get SIM cards that are later used for scams. Some change the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar first, so the OTPs go to them. You find out when a recovery agent calls or your credit score drops.
A real case
In July 2026, Delhi Police said they had arrested a 24-year-old man from Punjab over a racket that took about ₹1.6 crore in loans by misusing the Aadhaar and PAN details of about 50 people. A Delhi man had complained after getting EMI calls for a ₹4.5 lakh loan he never took. Police said the mobile number linked to his Aadhaar had been changed without his knowledge, and the loan money went into accounts rented for a commission.
Check your mobile connections
The Department of Telecommunications’ Sanchar Saathi app and website list every mobile connection issued in your name. If you see one you didn’t take, mark it “Not my number” and it will be blocked.
If it has already happened
- File a police complaint (or at cybercrime.gov.in) and keep a copy.
- Write to the lender with the police complaint, saying the loan isn't yours, and ask for the documents used. Raise a dispute with the credit bureau too.
- Mark unknown mobile numbers as "Not my number" on Sanchar Saathi.
Protect yourself
- Check your credit report at least once a year. Each of the four credit bureaus gives one free full report a year.
- Check the mobile numbers in your name on Sanchar Saathi, and lock your Aadhaar biometrics.
- Share only masked Aadhaar copies, write the purpose on photocopies, and never send PAN or Aadhaar to unknown "loan agents".
Say it simply
Check each family member's mobile connections on Sanchar Saathi once. It takes a minute.
Never give copies of your PAN or Aadhaar to agents who call offering loans or schemes.
Where to report
- Local police or cyber cellFor threats, blackmail or large losses, file an FIR. Take your screenshots and transaction details.Emergency: 112
- National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalFile a complaint about any cyber fraud, harassment, sextortion or morphed images.cybercrime.gov.in
- Your bank, directlyBlock your card or UPI, and report the transaction. Use the number on your card or the bank's official app, never one from a message.Number on your card
- Chakshu, on Sanchar SaathiReport a suspected fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp message, even if you lost nothing.sancharsaathi.gov.in