Bengaluru: The city police have alerted the public about a new type of cybercrime involving Aadhaar biometric authentication. According to the police, fraudsters are using fake Aadhaar apps and websites to trick people into sharing their Aadhaar number, OTP and biometric data. The fraudsters then use this data to access the victims’ bank accounts and transfer money.
The police said that they have received several complaints of Aadhaar biometric frauds in the past few months. In one case, a woman from Hennur lost Rs 1.5 lakh after she downloaded a fake Aadhaar app and scanned her fingerprint. In another case, a man from Banaswadi lost Rs 50,000 after he entered his Aadhaar number and OTP on a fake website.
The police have arrested two men from Bihar, Abuzhar and Mohammed Parwez Ezdani, for their involvement in the Aadhaar biometric frauds. The duo was using the Karnataka government’s land registration portal to generate fake Aadhaar cards and fingerprints. They were also in touch with other fraudsters across the country who provided them with the bank details of the victims.
The police have advised the public to be careful while sharing their Aadhaar and biometric data online. They have also urged the public to use only the official Aadhaar app and website for any Aadhaar-related services. The police have also requested the public to report any suspicious calls or messages asking for Aadhaar or biometric data to the cybercrime helpline number 155260123
