Mangaluru: Probe into Aadhaar-linked theft cases; Three detained in Bihar?

Mangaluru: Cyber Police of Mangaluru have escalated their investigation into cases involving the theft of biometric (fingerprint) and Aadhaar information, leading to unauthorized transactions through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS). It is learnt that three individuals have been detained and subjected to questioning in Bihar.

Fifteen individuals have lodged complaints with the police, claiming that funds were illicitly withdrawn from their accounts shortly after submitting their biometric and Aadhaar details at the sub-registrar’s office in Mangaluru. An police officer also fell prey to this fraudulent transactions.

Upon inspection, the police found no incriminating evidence at the sub-registrar’s office. Similar incidents of biometric and Aadhaar data misuse have been reported in other parts of the state, prompting authorities to suspect a potential breach in the registration and stamp department’s system.

Reliable sources indicate that three individuals have been taken into custody for further interrogation in Bihar.

In a separate incident, a complainant informed the cyber police that after providing their biometric and Aadhaar information while securing a loan from a society, funds were siphoned from their account.

Lock your Aadhaar biometric data

To safeguard against potential data theft, it is crucial to lock Aadhaar biometrics when submitting them to various offices, including the Sub-Registrar office.

This precautionary measure prevents unauthorized access to accounts even without OTP and passwords. Biometrics can be locked or unlocked via the official website [https://myaadhar.uidai.gov.in]. If temporarily unlocked, it will automatically re-lock after ten minutes.

Additional information is available on the Registration and Stamp Department’s YouTube channel [https://youtu.be/Jtq6nTtpu5A?si=w0LQCqDtI0d4sISP].