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Aadhaar fingerprint (AePS) fraud
Money withdrawn using your Aadhaar number and a copied fingerprint, with no OTP. Lock your biometrics to stop it.
How it works
The Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) lets people withdraw cash at a micro-ATM using only an Aadhaar number and a fingerprint. No card, no PIN and no OTP. That makes banking easy in villages, and it also makes it easy to misuse.
According to Gujarat Police’s Cyber Centre of Excellence, fraudsters collect Aadhaar numbers from leaked records and photocopies left at shops, hotels and gas agencies. They lift fingerprints from documents such as property registrations, or make silicone copies. Then they use a micro-ATM to take out cash in your name. Often the first sign is an SMS after the money has gone.
The one step that stops it
Gujarat Police call biometric locking “the only real defence”. Once your biometrics are locked on uidai.gov.in or the mAadhaar app, nobody can use your fingerprint, even with your Aadhaar number and a perfect copy. You can unlock it for a few minutes whenever you need to use your fingerprint yourself.
If money has gone
Call 1930 straight away, then tell your bank in writing. RBI rules limit what you have to pay if you report an unauthorised transaction quickly.
If it has already happened
- Call 1930 at once. The first hour is the best chance to freeze the money.
- Lock your Aadhaar biometrics on uidai.gov.in or the mAadhaar app so it can't happen again.
- Report it to your bank in writing within 3 working days, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.
Protect yourself
- Lock your Aadhaar biometrics on uidai.gov.in or the mAadhaar app. Unlock only when you need to use your fingerprint, then lock again.
- Share a masked Aadhaar (it hides the first 8 digits) instead of a full photocopy.
- Don't press your thumb on devices you aren't sure about, and turn on SMS alerts for your bank account.
Say it simply
Help older relatives lock their Aadhaar biometrics. It takes two minutes and can be undone any time.
Never give your thumbprint to anyone outside a bank or official office. Ask family to lock your Aadhaar fingerprint.
Where to report
- Cybercrime helpline 1930Money has been taken or a payment was tricked out of you. Call at once: the sooner, the better the chance of freezing it.Call 1930
- Your bank, directlyBlock your card or UPI, and report the transaction. Use the number on your card or the bank's official app, never one from a message.Number on your card
- National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalFile a complaint about any cyber fraud, harassment, sextortion or morphed images.cybercrime.gov.in