Order Number for Pension Payment (PPO)
For retired workers in the public or organized sectors, a Pension Payment Order (PPO) is a crucial document. It verifies the pensioner’s information and permits the release of the pension.
What Is a Pension Payment Order (PPO)?
The PPO specifies the pension amount, the method of payment, and the bank account that will receive the payment. You will get it after verifying your entitlements and reviewing service records. It also contains a unique reference number, retirement date, and personal data. This makes it easier for authorities and pensioners to monitor payments and resolve any problems.
Life insurance may provide an additional degree of financial security, even while the PPO guarantees a steady income after retirement. It may help your loved ones in times of need and pay for unforeseen costs. To learn more about PPO numbers in-depth, continue reading this page.
Who Will Give Out PPO?
The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) in Delhi issues PPOs (Pension Payment Orders) to employees of the Central Government, while the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) itself issues PPO numbers to members of EPFO, including many workers in the private sector. The PPO is typically prepared by the first Pension Sanctioning Authority (such as a Pay & Accounts Officer or AG’s office), after which it is sent to the CPAO or EPFO for final processing and delivery to the disbursing bank.
The Significance of PPO for Retirees
For pensioners to receive pension payments, submit life certificates, switch bank accounts, and access online pension services like tracking payments and filing grievances—all of which guarantee ongoing financial security and simple management of their retirement benefits—a Pension Payment Order (PPO) number is essential. Pensioners cannot access or manage their pension under programs like the EPS without it.
The Pension Pay Order (PPO) Scam: What Is It?
For the majority of retirees and pensioners, their pension serves as their only source of income. However, be wary of such individuals if you are one of them and get a call asking you to provide your OTP in order to expedite the processing of your pension. In a social media post on X (previously Twitter), State Bank of India (SBI) cautions that it may be a fraudster trying to steal money from your bank account.
Many of these retirees and pensioners have been advised by SBI to be wary of scams in which con artists pretend to be bank or Treasury officials in order to trick people into disclosing sensitive information, including ATM card numbers, mobile OTPs, and internet banking credentials, and then steal money from their bank accounts.
“Fraudsters often target retirees and pensioners by impersonating as treasury/bank officials and deceiving them into revealing sensitive data,” SBI said in a posting on X. Their objective? to take complete control of your account and modify your registered cellphone number.
How Scammers Deceive Retirees and Pensioners
According to the PSU bank, the fraudster provides the retiree with an internet connection under the guise of expedited pension processing. The link is a request to create a change request for a mobile number. Nevertheless, the fraudster deceives the retiree by claiming that the request is for his Pension Payment Order (PPO) number verification. The scammer changes his phone number and assumes complete control of the retiree’s bank account when the pensioner confirms this request via the ATM.
In addition to the text, SBI tweeted a video explaining to retirees and pensioners how scammers might fool people into emptying their bank accounts and how to avoid falling victim to such schemes.
What Is the Message of the Video That SBI Shared on Twitter?
The film alerts viewers to the fact that scammers are posing as bank or Treasury officials in order to target retirees and pensions. Through a phony link, they can urge you to provide your ATM card information or online banking login credentials. Simultaneously, fraudsters try to access your online banking and ask for the OTP that you get on your cell phone.
They start a mobile number change request and choose SBI ATM verification once they have access to your bank account. After that, they give you an IRATA reference number and persuade you to “verify” your Pension Payment Order (PPO) at any SBI ATM.
This verification is really a scam that gives a scammer complete access to your account by taking control of your cell number.
Keep in mind that the purpose of the verification is to modify a pensioner’s cellphone number. They have total control over your bank account after verification, and they have the ability to erase your funds at any moment.
How Can Pensioners Be at Risk From This Fraud?
Convincing victims that their pension processing or verification—for example, a Pension Payment Order (PPO) check—is pending or has been delayed is the fraudsters’ method of tricking them into disclosing personal or financial information.
After obtaining the victim’s information, the fraudster tries to alter the registered cellphone number associated with the victim’s bank account. This allows them to intercept OTPs and SMS alerts and eventually take over the victim’s account.
All notifications and OTPs are sent to the fraudster as soon as they are successful in altering a person’s registered cellphone number, leaving the actual account holder in the dark. This gives fraudsters unrestricted access to transactions made using the account.
What SBI Has Advised Retirees to Do
Even if the caller claims to be from your bank, SBI has warned retirees not to divulge login passwords, card PINs, OTPs, or any other personal or financial information via phone calls, emails, SMS, or links.
Pay close attention to the messages in your email and SMS notifications. Consider it a warning sign and contact the cybercrime police if you get a notice about a number change request that you did not make.
According to SBI’s notice on X, legitimate banking calls originate from numbers beginning with +91-1600. Be suspicious if you get calls from any other number purporting to be from the bank. SBI claims
How Fraudsters Abuse PPO Information
Phishing and impersonation: Scammers approach retirees via phone, SMS, or email while posing as bank or government employees (such as those from the Central Pension Accounting Office). In order to instill a feeling of urgency and panic, they often bring up issues with pension processing or awaiting PPO verification, threatening to halt or freeze pension payments if prompt action is not taken.
Extracting Sensitive Information: The scammers deceive the victim into disclosing private financial and personal information under the guise of “verifying” the PPO number or updating information (such as the yearly life certificate).
Among them are:
Credentials for online banking (password, username)
PIC and ATM card information
OTPs, or one-time passwords
PAN or Aadhaar information
Account Takeover (Mobile Number Change): One of the main strategies is to use the victim’s bank account to start a mobile number change request. In order to “check” the PPO, the fraudster gives the retiree a reference number and persuades them to go to an ATM. In actuality, the victim is giving the fraudster access of their account by unintentionally consenting to the cell number change at the ATM.
Draining Accounts: Once fraudsters take over the victim’s account, they may intercept all notifications and OTPs, which enables them to carry out illegal activities, move funds to “fake accounts” or wallets, and erase all of the victim’s savings.
How to Keep Yourself Safe
Pensioners are advised by government organizations and banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI) and the EPFO, to exercise caution and adhere to certain safety precautions:
Never Share Details: Never give out your PPO number, bank account information, passwords, ATM PIN, or OTPs to anybody by phone, email, or SMS. Through these routes, official entities will never request such information.
Verify the Source: Hang up and get in touch with your bank or the official pension department immediately via their website or a reliable phone number if you get a questionable call or message. The contact details in the questionable message itself should not be used.
Watch Out for Urgency: To get you to behave hastily and without thinking, scammers use pressure techniques and a fictitious feeling of urgency. Keep your cool and independently check any accusations.
Use Official Platforms: Only use official platforms, such as the Jeevan Pramaan Portal, or physically visit your bank office for any changes, such as submitting your Digital Life Certificate.
Report Scams: Contact your bank, local law enforcement, or the national cybercrime site at https://cybercrime.gov.in as away if you suspect a scam attempt or fall victim to one.
