In a shocking incident highlighting the misuse of personal data for tax fraud, Rani Babu, a 58-year-old housekeeper from Ambur, was stunned to receive a GST notice amounting to Rs 2.39 crore from the Commercial Taxes Department in Tiruchy. Rani, who earns only Rs 9,000 per month working at a leather company, lives in a rented house with her son and grandchildren. Her son, B Shankar, also earns a modest income of Rs 9,000 from a shoe sole manufacturing company.
The GST notice, sent from the Palakkarai Assessment Circle, names Rani as the proprietor of a company called Modern Enterprises, registered under GSTIN 33FEPPR4120N1Z1, which purportedly operates from Tiruchi. Distressed by the fraudulent misuse of her identity, Rani and her son plan to file a complaint with the Superintendent of Police in Tirupattur.
This incident is not isolated. Several similar cases have surfaced in Ambur and Vaniyambadi, where the Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and bank accounts of daily wage earners and housewives are being misused to evade GST. Investigations are underway by the district crime branch and cybercrime wing, according to Tirupattur SP Shreya Gupta.
Authorities caution that such frauds often take place when individuals provide their personal details for supposed community welfare schemes or quick financial gains. Given the ease of online GST registration, the system is susceptible to misuse, further complicating investigations.
This story serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerability of low-income earners to financial crimes and the growing issue of identity misuse in the digital age.
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