Government Warns Pensioners Against Jeevan Pramaan Fraud

The Indian government has acknowledged reports of fraud targeting pensioners in the name of updating their Jeevan Pramaan/Digital Life Certificate and has taken steps to combat such scams. The issue was raised in Lok Sabha through Unstarred Question No. 2078, posed by Shri Asaduddin Owaisi, regarding the number of affected pensioners and the preventive measures in place.

Frauds Targeting Pensioners: Government’s Response

Responding to the query, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Jitin Prasada, confirmed that while the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) provide a secure digital platform for pensioners to submit their life certificates, fraudulent activities have been reported.

Extent of the Issue

Over 10.13 crore pensioners have registered for Jeevan Pramaan as of March 2025.
Fraudsters have been using fake websites and misleading information to exploit pensioners during the life certificate submission process.

Measures Taken to Prevent Frauds

The government has implemented several awareness and cybersecurity initiatives to protect pensioners:

1. Awareness Campaigns

Pension Sanctioning Authorities and Disbursing Agencies conduct workshops and awareness drives.
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) organizes events to educate pensioners on the official digital life certificate submission process.
MeitY and NIC use social media extensively to disseminate information and caution pensioners against fraudulent websites.

2. Cybersecurity and Enforcement Actions

The government has actively tracked and dismantled fraudulent entities exploiting pensioners:

In December 2022, a fraudulent website was detected copying content from the official Jeevan Pramaan portal user manual.
Swift actions taken:
- A public warning was issued via NIC’s official Twitter handle.
- The fraudulent website was reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (Acknowledgment No: 20812220080892).
- CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) was alerted to mitigate cybersecurity threats.
- The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) was involved in reviewing and taking down the fake website.
- The Press Information Bureau (PIB) released a public alert to notify citizens.

3. Online Alerts

The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) website (https://cpao.nic.in/) regularly posts alerts to caution pensioners about potential frauds.
The official Jeevan Pramaan website (https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in/) and its mobile applications (Android & iOS) continue to provide secure access for pensioners to submit their life certificates.

How Pensioners Can Stay Safe

The government advises pensioners to:

Only use the official Jeevan Pramaan website and mobile apps for digital life certificate submission.
Ignore calls, messages, or emails from unknown sources offering assistance in updating their life certificates.
Report fraudulent activities via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in/).
Stay informed through CPAO and PIB updates on fraudulent practices.

Conclusion

With an increasing number of pensioners relying on digital verification, cyber fraudsters are actively looking for ways to exploit the system. However, the government’s strict monitoring, prompt action, and awareness efforts are aimed at protecting pensioners and ensuring the security of the Jeevan Pramaan system.

For more updates and alerts, pensioners should visit https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in/ and https://cpao.nic.in/.

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