Government launches drive against fake PAN cards

The Government has launched drive against fake Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards. As a continuous process, in order to know the genuineness of Know Your Customer (KYC) documents on Proof of Identity (POI) and Proof of Address (POA), third party field verification is conducted after allotment of PAN. The information of failed KYC verification is made available to field formations of Department to mark the event in respect of PAN as ‘FAKE’ through Assessee Information System (AIS) application software.

Also, check on duplicate allotment of PANs to existing PAN allottees is an inbuilt feature of PAN allotment software process which works as a continuous process.

The following is the number of PAN marked as Fake:

Of the total PAN allotment, 96.35% PAN allotments are under the category of “Individual” applicants and maximum fake/duplicates are also observed under individual category. For uniquely identifying the PAN allotted and to overcome the problems of fake PANs, issue of more than one PAN to an individual and to clean up the PAN database duplicates, capturing of Aadhaar in revised PAN application from 49A has been started on voluntary basis. 3,04,452 unique Aadhaar numbers have been seeded/incorporated into PAN database. For KYC strengthening, the format of certificate of Identity/Address issued by MP/MLA/Municipal Counselor/Gazetted officer has been prescribed.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri S.S. Palanimanickam in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.