How to Lock Your Aadhaar Biometrics to Prevent Loan Fraud

In September 2010, the Aadhaar card project was launched by the Government of India. The main purpose of this initiative was to create a reliable, voluntary, and universal proof of identity and address for Indian citizens. Every individual’s Aadhaar card has a unique 12-digit identification number, known as the Aadhaar number. In today’s time, the Aadhaar card is one of the most important documents. From opening a bank account to applying for a loan, making an investment to availing any government subsidies - you need the Aadhaar card as a primary document.

Table of Content

• What is Biometric Locking in Aadhaar?
• How to Lock Aadhaar Card Biometrics
• Is Temporary Unlocking of Aadhaar Biometrics Possible?
• Additional Tips to Prevent Aadhaar-related Frauds
• Final Words

At the time of issuance of an Aadhaar card, an individual’s biometrics (fingerprints, iris patterns, and facial photograph) are collected. This is encrypted and securely stored by UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). These biometrics are later used for identity authentication in banking, government services, and many other things. However, the number of biometrics-related frauds has also increased in the last few years. Several individuals and groups have been reported to steal this data and use it for identity theft as well as financial fraud. Locking your biometrics is the best way to minimise the risk of these frauds and unauthorised transactions that may affect your credit score as well.

What is Biometric Locking in Aadhaar?

Biometric locking is a feature that allows you to disable fingerprint and iris-based authentication linked to your Aadhaar number. Once enabled, biometric authentication won’t work for any transaction or verification. Every time you need to make a payment or identity verification, you’ll have to unlock it. In other words, biometric locking adds an extra layer of protection for your personal and financial information.

However, enabling biometric locking does not affect your UPI transactions, net banking access, debit or credit card usage or OTP-based Aadhaar verification. It only blocks biometric authentication and is especially relevant for Aadhaar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) transactions, where withdrawals and payments can be processed using only the Aadhaar number and fingerprint.

Suggested Read: How to Protect Yourself from Loan Fraud in India?

How to Lock Aadhaar Card Biometrics

UIDAI allows users to lock their Aadhaar Card biometrics through the website and mobile app. The process consists of a few simple steps.

Through the UIDAI Website:

• Visit the official UIDAI portal (https://uidai.gov.in/)
• Go to ‘Aadhaar Services’ and select ‘biometric lock/unlock’
• Here, you’ll be required to enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number followed by a CAPTCHA code
• Authenticate this using the OTP received on your registered mobile number
• Now you can enable biometric locking

Through the mAadhaar App

• Log in using your profile details
• Go to biometric settings
• Turn on the biometric lock option
• Now your biometric authentication will stay locked until you choose to unlock it

Is Temporary Unlocking of Aadhaar Biometrics Possible?

Yes. There can be situations where you’ll need biometric authentication. If you have enabled biometric locking, you can unlock it temporarily. For this, OTP verification is required. Your biometric authentication will remain unlocked only for a small window and will get locked again automatically.

Suggested Read: 7 Ways to Avoid Personal Loan Scams You Must Know

Additional Tips to Prevent Aadhaar-related Frauds

• UIDAI also provides an Aadhaar authentication history feature, where you can check all the instances where your information was used for authentication. It is important to check your authentication history on a regular basis.
• If you see any suspicious or unauthorised authentication attempts on your Aadhaar card, report them without any delay.
• Aadhaar OTPs are shared to provide secure, consent-based authentication. Never share these OTPs with anyone.
• If you are required to submit your Aadhaar card, always use a masked version. Masked Aadhaar cards are legally valid and can be used everywhere.

Final Words

There is no denying the fact that the Aadhaar card has made things a lot simpler and more convenient. Whether you want to make a payment or obtain a loan, everything can be done through biometric authentication. However, it is also important to protect yourself from identity theft or financial fraud. UIDAI offers a biometrics-locking feature that helps prevent unauthorised use of Aadhaar information.

Do you also want to avail a loan in the most secure way? At Muthoot Finance, we offer a variety of financing options to cater to the diverse needs of individuals. Whether you want a personal loan or a gold loan, we have several schemes with highly competitive interest rates. To initiate your application, you can reach out to us and submit your query. Or you can visit your nearest Muthoot Finance branch to get more information.