Aadhar scam alert! Know how to lock your biometrics to avoid identity theft and AEPS scam

You think your bank account is safe, with discreet UPI, ATM Pin and all passwords for transactions safely with you, but here you are wrong. Without making any transaction, neither from debit card, UPI or any other mode but you can still lose your money. A similar incident has happened in a few parts of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where many account holders lost money only because their Aadhaar biometrics were misused. Their fingerprints were misused as the culprits copied them precisely, and they did not even know anything about it.

How do scammers misuse Aadhaar?

Due to the Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS), scammers primarily target Aadhar by misusing the Aadhar number and biometric authentication

How to save lock Aadhar biometrics?

To prevent scams, the UIDAI also provides a feature to lock your biometric information online. After locking this, the fingerprint and iris scan used for Aadhaar-based authentication is rendered disable. The eKYC service can be used through OTP-based verification. For this:

-Open the UIDAI website (uidai.gov.in)

-Click on the ‘My Aadhaar’ section on the homepage.

-Click on “Lock/Unlock Biometrics” and enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number.

-After entering the number, an automatic OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number.

-After entering the OTP, you will now be logged in. Then click “Enable Biometric Locking”.

-You will be unlocked temporarily in case the user visits a bank or needs to complete KYC for a telecom connection.

This feature has a big loophole and so users must be aware. In the majority of the AEPS scams, fingerprints are either stolen or cloned. Officials in some villages discovered silicon-based fingerprint moulds used for fraudulent withdrawals. If one locks their biometrics, then even if their Aadhaar number is leaked, it will be nullified for any transaction requiring biometric verification.

Users should also check their Aadhaar authentication history on a regular basis. For this, log in at UIDAI and then see the latest authentication requests to check if any of them is unfamiliar. Also, make sure to share photocopies of Aadhaar cards. Do not share Aadhaar numbers on WhatsApp, or any other platform and never let anyone see your card details just like that at photocopy shops.