- Date : 21/09/2023
- Read: 2 mins
The UIDAI issued an advisory against giving your Aadhaar information anywhere other than the official Aadhaar Portal after the rise in phishing lookalike websites scams.
Recently, the official handle of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issued a warning on their social media handles about scamsters creating realistic looking phishing scam websites. They issue these warnings periodically under the hashtag #BewareOfFraudsters. You can go to their official pages to find the post in its entirety, posted on 6th September. We will be sharing some tips to help citizens discern these Frauds and discuss a recent example of the harm these scams have caused.
Also Read: Financial Transactions You can Do with an Inoperative PAN Card
Highlights:
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A common scam being run by scamsters is impersonating the official Aadhaar Portal and collecting Aadhaar information under the guise of updating it.
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The only way you can update your Aadhaar information is to go to the official myAadhaar Portal or a nearby Aadhaar center.
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Your Aadhaar Card is the best Know Your Customer (KYC) tool at your disposal, so please use it like you would use your bank account number or PAN, with precaution.
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UIDAI periodically shares the Android and iOS Quick Response (QR) codes and links on their social medias, visit those if you are uncertain of how to update any Aadhaar Information.
Telltale Signs of a Scam:
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Scammers bank on the fact that we will just skim through the page. Check the URL, you will see some discrepancy. A common example is that instead of '.in' they may have '.tv' or some other top-level domain.
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They will also use tricks like URL shorteners to make their links look legitimate when they reach out to you.
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UIDAI will never solicit your proof of Identity (POI) or Proof of Address (POA) via email or WhatsApp.
A Cautionary Tale:
In the first case of Aadhaar Enabled Payments System (AEPS) fraud, a woman in Karnataka lost 20,000 Rs from her account. AEPS was created to make payments from your bank account possible with your biometrics. The victim, a resident of Bengaluru, noticed two unverified charges of 10,000 Rs each on September 6th and 7th from her account. The case was registered under section 66 D of the IT Act, 2000 and is being investigated.
Also Watch: Gaps in Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) abused by cybercriminals
Conclusion:
Can anyone Misuse My Aadhaar Card? It seems more and more likely with the increase in sophistication of scammer websites. Although, if you are mindful of the basic government guidelines and wary of frauds, you should be able to wade through these murky waters.
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