With the advancement in technology, cyber criminals are also going hi-tech and carrying out big frauds online. Now the scam happens on a single click. Cases of cybercrimes are growing rapidly with the time. Your money can be withdrawn from your bank without your knowledge. No otp, no link, no QR code, no calls, no messages and no apps will be used to conduct frauds. Nowadays, a new scam is in news i.e. Aadhaar biometric scam.
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What is an Aadhaar biometric scam?
It is a new deceptive trick to dupe people using duplicate fingerprints linked to their Aadhaar accounts. Scammers are cloning the fingerprints of the Aadhaar users to withdraw funds from their bank accounts. They misuse Aadhaar enabled payment system to transfer the funds to different accounts using banking details, Aadhaar number and biometric. They clone fingerprints of Aadhaar card users by using Aadhaar card fingerprints or going on states’ registry websites
Recently, this scam has happened with a famous you tuber named Pushpendra Singh. He shared the incident on his twitter account.
Who is Pushpendra Singh?
Pusphendra Singh is a famous YouTuber. He uses both YouTube and Twitter to communicate with the audience. He gives valuable advice on finance and scams.
What fraud happened with Pushpendra Singh?
This fraud took place with the mother of Pushpendra Singh. Pushpendra went to bank Punjab national bank branch in Faridabad to make entry into the passbook of his mother. At that time, he found that her mother bank account balance was zero. He was completely shocked and puzzled.
Then he quickly called her mother and told her about zero balance. But her mother answered that she never withdrew any money and not even shared any otp with anyone. Pushpendra informed this to bank manager. He went home and brought back her mother to bank.
On that day, he met several people in the bank whose accounts had been hacked in various ways. Pushpendra discussed the incidents with the bank manager. The bank manager informed him that the accounts were drained by an individual from Bihar using cloned Aadhaar card fingerprints.
The YouTuber was shocked upon hearing this. The bank manager added that there had been previous cases of fingerprint fraud where scammers had stolen customers’ fingerprints through property registry documents.
Pushpendra argued that it was not his fault and claimed it was a failure on the bank’s part. He questioned why the bank hadn’t taken immediate action when someone was making illegal transactions to different accounts. He insisted the bank should have blocked the account instantly.
After detailed discussion, bank manager said that he could only write complaint if Pushpendra would file a cybercrime complaint. Then he filed cybercrime complaint and also shared its copy on twitter account but so far nothing had happened as told by Pushpendra on twitter account.
He said that they were not taking his complaint seriously. Even PNB (Punjab National Bank) said that he got very late to raise the issue.
At last, Pushpendra said the people must turn off the biometric authentication. By default it remains on. If it is not done then scammers can easily clone the fingerprints of the victims and access the bank accounts with different locations.
If Aadhaar biometric data is not safe, then banks should take immediate steps to enhance their security systems. Cases like these are a grave concern. The government should implement proper measures to address the loopholes in the security system; otherwise, people may face serious consequences
Pushpendra twitter link:
📍How my mother Saving Account drain by hacker with the help of #aadharcard
— Pushpendra Singh (@pushpendrakum) May 2, 2023
Here is the complete thread 👇🧵
How fingerprint gets collected by scammers?
Earlier, scammers used to download the land registry documents and collect the details, Aadhaar number and fingerprints of the people. Then they scanned the required documents and enhanced their quality by using Photoshop. Next, they cloned the fingerprints on the butter paper by using polymer sheet and also heated it to a certain temperature with a chemical.
Later, they withdrew the money from the bank accounts via EPoint India app by using fingerprint, bank details and Aadhaar number.
It is very necessary to be aware in this time of cyber fraud. You need to keep checking your bank balance regularly. If anything goes wrong, take the required action immediately otherwise it might be too late to recover your amount.
So your fingerprints or biometric might also be not safe. This fraud should not be ignored. If the money in bank is not safe then where people should keep their funds? Who will be liable for the loss? Land registry documents should be kept safe in order to prevent it from any misuse.
Important instructions should be ordered to the concerned department to keep fingerprints’ documents safe. Fingerprints should be masked in these documents to avoid being misused by the scammers. These frauds expose security threats to our confidential information.
Effective measures to prevent fraud
People should lock their Aadhaar biometric as soon as possible because by default it is on. If someone has given their confidential documents to a risky person or place, they should lock their biometric data immediately by visiting the official website https://uidai.gov.in/.
Go to website, choose the required (English) language, and go to ‘My Aadhaar ‘category and click on sub category ‘Aadhaar services’. Under this sub category, you will find the option ‘Lock/ Unlock biometric’. This will help you to prevent from scammers using your fingerprint for bank account access.
Steps to Lock Aadhaar Biometric Data
- Check for 16-Digit VID Requirement: You need a 16-digit Virtual ID (VID) to lock your Aadhaar number. If you don’t have a VID, generate one using SMS or the UIDAI website.
- Generating VID (If Needed) via SMS:
- Send SMS: Type
GVID <Last 4 or 8 digits of Aadhaar>and send it to 1947. - Example:
GVID 1234.
3. Locking via UIDAI Website:
- Visit: Go to UIDAI Lock/Unlock Page.
- Select UID Lock Option: Under the “My Aadhaar” tab, choose “Aadhaar Lock & Unlock Services” and select the “UID Lock” radio button.
- Enter Details: Provide your Aadhaar number, full name, and pin code as per the latest details. Enter the security code.
- Send OTP: Click on “Send OTP” or choose TOTP (from mAadhaar app) and click “Submit.”
- Confirmation: Your UID will now be successfully locked.
4. Using the mAadhaar App:
- Open the mAadhaar app, go to the “Aadhaar Services” section, select “Lock Biometrics,” and follow the prompts to lock biometrics.
Steps to Unlock Aadhaar Biometric Data
- Retrieve VID if Needed:
- SMS Retrieval: Send
RVID <Last 4 or 8 digits of Aadhaar>to 1947. - Example:
RVID 1234.
2. Unlocking via UIDAI Website:
- Visit: Go to UIDAI Lock/Unlock Page.
- Select Unlock Option: Choose the “Unlock” radio button.
- Enter Details: Input your latest VID, security code, and click on “Send OTP” or select TOTP.
- Confirmation: Your UID will be unlocked successfully.
3. Using the mAadhaar App:
- Open the app, go to “Aadhaar Services,” select “Unlock Biometrics,” and follow the prompts to unlock biometrics.
Also report the matter immediately to your bank. Victims should file cybercrime complaint online without wasting any time. As soon as they filed complained, take a copy and contact the bank official. If nobody listens then try to contact to bank manger directly so that they could take the complaint seriously. If one delays, Pushpendra Singh’s case is a good example for you to understand what happened with him. Never delay in these types of cases. This may make your situation worse.
Conclusion
Fingerprint is not safe. Aadhaar biometric should be more secured. Fingerprints should be masked in the registry documents. Strict measures should be taken by the government and RBI to make bank security system stronger and reliable for the people. Grievances and complaints should be taken seriously. Precautionary steps must be followed to stop these cybercrimes.