Aadhaar cardholders from all over India have made use of social media platforms to spread awareness of an emerging type of fraud that could pose a serious risk to their bank accounts.
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Scammers have exploited a weakness in the newly introduced Aadhaar-enabled Pay System (AePS) which could drain your account to a minimum without the requirement to provide OTP authentication.
The AePS Scam Revealed
Aadhaar card users across India have used social media to spread awareness of an emerging type of fraud which poses a significant risk to their bank accounts.
Scammers have exploited a weakness in the newly introduced Aadhaar-enabled Pay System (AePS) which could drain your account to a minimum without the requirement for OTP authentication.
Fingerprint Data Theft
This scam is a way for fraudsters to steal money from your account by gaining access to your fingerprint information and knowledge of your Aadhaar identification number, and names of the bank you use. It's more alarming is the lack of SMS alerts that notify you if funds are taken from your account.
Cyber cafés, photocopier shops and hotels are now popular spots for Aadhaar number theft, and scammers are often monitoring victims to find out the bank they are associated with.
The final piece of this AePS puzzle is taking fingerprints and stealing them. Scammers utilize innovative techniques to obtain fingerprint information from places like the land registry office or other service providers that rely on fingerprints to authenticate.
Then, they imprint the stolen fingerprint data onto artificial silicon thumbs, which allows them to withdraw funds via AePS and remain undetected.
Protecting Your Aadhaar Data
To guard against this fraud It is essential to Aadhaar card holders to safeguard their biometric information. This can be accomplished making use of the mAadhaar app as well as on the UIDAI website.
Because AePS is enabled automatically for all Aadhaar card holders, and their biometric information not being secured by default, it's essential for cardholders to be proactive about disable it to ensure greater security.
To turn off AePS and to secure the biometric data that is associated to you Aadhaar card, do this by following these instructions.
Start by downloading the mAadhaar application on your smartphone regardless of whether it's Android as well as iOS. Register using your Aadhaar-linked mobile number, confirm your Aadhaar details, and finally opt to lock your biometric information in the application.
It's important to note that the app permits users to unlock their biometrics at any time. In addition, you can decide to lock your Aadhaar number in the app, which will prevent any unauthorised access to your Aadhaar number as well as OTP to access online services.
The role of the Aadhaar-enabled payment System (AePS)
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently launched the Aadhaar-enabled Pay System (AePS) in accordance with the guidelines issued in the RBI along with UIDAI.
This revolutionary system allows Aadhaar cardholders to conduct a variety of financial transactions, such as the cash withdrawal, deposits mini statements, balance inquiries Aadhaar-toAadhaar funds transfers, transactions authentication, and payment through BHIM Aadhaar.
All that's needed to perform these transactions are three essential factors: the bank's's name and Aadhaar identification number and biometric verification.
The principal goal of the Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS) will be to make it easier for microATM transactions by facilitating transactions that can be as high as Rs 10,000 for each transaction.
In just one day, users can withdraw up to Rs 50,000 using AePS. While the NPCI's approach is revolutionary, it's important to recognize that fingerprint information could be compromised through different sources. Additionally, counterfeit silicon fingers could be used to copy authentic fingerprints.
How Do I Lock Biometrics Using mAadhaar App?
- Start the mAadhaar application and sign in with your username and password.
- Log in to your profile.
- Click the Menu option that is located in the upper-right corner the application.
- Click on 'Biometric Settings.'
- Turn on the Biometric Lock' feature by confirming the box.
- Click OK, after which you will receive an OTP is sent out to your mobile number associated using your Aadhaar.
- After entering the OTP your biometric data will be immediately secured for extra security.
How to unlock Biometrics through the mAadhaar application?
- Launch the mAadhaar application and then access the menu.
- Choose Biometric Settings from the drop-down choices.
- You will get an alert message saying, "Your biometrics will be temporarily unlocked" on the phone's screen.
- Tap 'Yes' to confirm your biometric information will be released for a period of 10 minutes.