The Aadhaar conundrum continues for the retail consumer. On one hand,
the Supreme Court is yet to give its final verdict on its legality. But,
on the other hand, precious data is being leaked and some companies
have been misusing this 12-digit unique identification number.
Recently, the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) initiated an inquiry against a
telecom operator for allegedly opening payments bank accounts of its
subscribers who went for Aadhaar-based SIM verification without their ‘informed
consent’. Even Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has issued an advisory
to its customers. The insurer came across messages where policyholders were
asked to link Aadhaar to their policies by sending an SMS to a designated
number. LIC said it does not have such a facility.
Already, there have been several cases
where criminals have called people on the pretext of linking their Aadhaar with
bank accounts or mobile numbers. After making them reveal sensitive
information, the criminals have stolen money from their bank accounts.
“Earlier, individuals were getting calls from criminals to reveal bank-related
one-time passwords (OTP). Now, these criminals are using Aadhaar seeding as the
new tool to get sensitive information,” says Rohit Srivastwa, a cybersecurity
expert.
Experts say that most frauds occur as
victims share their sensitive information with criminals due to lack of
awareness. Scammers usually call with threats that unless the individual shares
details right away, their bank accounts will be locked or mobile SIM cards
deactivated. “No service provider ever calls individuals to collect data. If
you get a call asking for any information, then it is bound to be a fraudulent
call,” says Sivarama Krishnan, partner and leader-cybersecurity, PwC
India.
ust
following a few precautions can help you prevent losing money to frauds and
misuse of your Aadhaar details. When you have to link your Aadhaar to any
services, check on the website of the company on the ways you can do it. For
banks, all you need to do is mention Aadhaar number online as the account is
already know-your-customer (KYC) compliant. It’s only for telecom companies
that you are required to visit the retailer or their outlet and authenticate
biometrics.
These days, criminals have also resorted to
collecting sensitive data through apps. Once installed on your phone, these
apps ask for details such as a bank account or card details to link Aadhaar.
Once shared, the details are used to swindle money. Ensure that you don’t
download and install apps that are not from Google Play Store (Android) or
Apple’s store or iTunes. “Even if the app is from an authentic source, avoid
third-party apps and only go for official ones,” says Krishnan. If a service
provider insists on a photocopy of the Aadhaar card, sign on it, mention the
date and purpose for which the photocopy was shared.
UIDAI also provides an option to users to
lock and unlock their Aadhaar account. One way to do this this is by using an
OTP. A simpler way is to download the mAadhaar app of the UIDAI. You can lock
and unlock the account more easily through the app whenever needed.
How to lock/unlock biometrics
Go to: https://resident.uidai.gov.in/biometric-lock
Enter your Aadhaar number
Enter security code/captcha
Receive the OTP
Lock your Aadhaar
In app, select biometric settings to lock or unlock after setting up your profile
Enter your Aadhaar number
Enter security code/captcha
Receive the OTP
Lock your Aadhaar
In app, select biometric settings to lock or unlock after setting up your profile
