In a shocking case of identity theft and tax fraud, two Delhi residents have become victims of a large-scale GST scam worth nearly Rs 70 crore. Cyber police said that fraudsters allegedly used the PAN and Aadhaar details of the victims to create fake GST registrations and record bogus transactions in their names.
In the first case, a resident of Narela in northwest Delhi discovered the fraud while checking his income-tax account. To his shock, GST sales worth about Rs 60 crore were recorded under his name for the financial year 2024-25. According to the complaint, transactions worth Rs 20 crore were listed between April and June 2024, while an additional Rs 40 crore appeared between May 2023 and March 2024.
The complainant told police he had no connection with any of these business dealings or the people behind them. Following his complaint, a case of cheating was registered at the Outer North district's cyber police station on October 22.
In the second case, a 53-year-old man from Bakhtawarpur reported that his PAN and Aadhaar details were used to fraudulently register a GST number and carry out transactions worth nearly Rs 12 crore. The complainant said that on January 14, unknown persons used his credentials to create a fake GST account and allegedly claimed bogus input tax credit (ITC).
The victim suspects that his mobile number may have been hacked to intercept the one-time password (OTP) required for GST registration. However, he told police that he never received any verification message that day. The fraud surfaced when he consulted his chartered accountant during his income-tax filing. A case was registered at the same cyber police station on October 18.
Police said both cases are under investigation and that efforts are underway to trace the culprits and identify how the victims' personal details were compromised.
The incidents highlight rising concerns over the misuse of Aadhaar and PAN information in fake GST registrations - a growing challenge for authorities amid India's expanding digital economy.
CAclubindia
