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Internet scams and fraud have posed a significant danger to everyone. In many examples reported scammers posing as police officers may video call you to lure you into providing your own personal details and then empty your bank account. At other times they have been able to find your Aadhaar details from the internet making it easier for them to steal your money. Being vigilant and protecting your information should be a constant effort. What is the Aadhaar-linked AEPS scam and how does it work? Numerous peoples bank accounts were emptied without any visible transactions. How can this occur? The peoples Aadhaar biometric data fell into the wrong hands. How does someones bank account get emptied with no visible activity? The reason is an Aadhaar-linked AEPS scam. With the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System money can be withdrawn with just an Aadhaar number and a fingerprint which is an easy way for criminals to steal money. The Aadhaar-linked AEPS scam is a type of scam that allows scammers to exploit the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) which allows individuals to steal money from peoples bank accounts without the use of OTP debit card or PIN. What leads to Aadhaar-linked AEPS scam? Cyber cafes print shops hotels and similar places are common places where Aadhaar numbers can be stolen. After acquiring the Aadhaar number the scammers often trace the victim to learn about their bank details. The last piece in the AEPS fraud puzzle is a fingerprint pattern. This is where the scammers start to get clever. They try to accumulate fingerprint data from places such as land registry offices or other sites that require fingerprints for authentication purposes. Once they obtain this data they recreate these fingerprints on artificial silicone thumbs. Then using these thumbs they can withdraw money from the victims bank account utilizing the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) - no OTP or PIN required. It can be locked online after which your Aadhaar biometrics fingerprint and iris will be locked and no one will be able to withdraw money with your fingerprint without your consent. What steps can you take to lock your Aadhaar biometrics? How to Lock your biometrics: Go to the UIDAI website. Click on My Aadhaar. Click on Lock/Unlock Biometrics. Enter your Aadhaar Number and log in using the OTP. Click Enable biometric lock. Services Even After Locking: Even if you have enabled a biometric lock you can still avail services like eKYC LPG subsidy and other Government services using OTP without inconvenience. Temporary Unlock If Required. When your bank or SIM requires biometric verification for KYC you can temporarily unlock your biometrics for a specified time. Scammers often use fake fingerprints (e.g. silicone replicas) to steal funds but this will not occur if your biometrics are locked.