A new social media scam is being talked about by netizens in which scammers can drain your bank account to zero using a loophole in the new Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS). In this scam, the fraudsters can steal money from any bank account through access to fingerprint data, an Aadhaar number and the name of the bank and they do not need an OTP.
The worst part is, you don't even get an SMS notification on your money being debited from your account. Cyber cafes, photocopy shops, hotels, etc are prime spots where Aadhaar numbers can get stolen and then scammers usually stalk the victims to know the bank name.
To access the fingerprints of bank holders, scammers find their land registry and other sources. This fingerprint data is then imprinted on artificial silicon thumbs which are used to withdraw money using AePS.
How to be safe from scammers:
- To stay safe from the scam, you must lock your Aadhaar biometric data by using either the mAadhaar app or the UIDAI website.
- To disable AePS and lock biometric data of your Aadhaar card, download the mAadhaar app and use your Aadhaar-linked mobile number to signup.
- Verify your Aadhaar details and opt to lock your biometric using the app. You can unlock biometrics using the app whenever you need to.
mAadhaar app: How to download the on Android smartphone or iPhone?
- Open the Google Play Store in your mobile and install mAadhaar app. For iPhones, use the App Store.
- Allow the required permission for the mAadhaar app for download
- Once, the mAadhaar gets installed on your phone, set in a password for the app
- Note that the password should comprise of 4 digits (all numerals).
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Lock Biometrics via mAadhaar App: Steps
- Open the mAadhaar app, and log in using the user id and password
- Click on the profile
- Tap on the Menu option, placed on the top right corner of the app
- Click on the ‘Biometric Settings’
- Put a tick on the ‘Enable Biometric Lock’ option
- Step 7: Tap on ‘OK’ and an OTP will be sent to the mobile number registered in Aadhar
- As soon as the OTP is entered, the biometric details will immediately get locked.
