Without requiring phone calls or OTPs, a cybercrime ring in Bihar has discovered a new method of stealing money from bank accounts.
Hackers used the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) to carry out illicit transactions by taking use of Aadhaar biometric information, particularly fingerprints, that was taken from official land records.
Cybercriminals obtained land records dated June 25, 2024, in the Purnia region of Bihar, and extracted fingerprints and Aadhaar information.
Then, using cloned thumb prints, they pretended to be victims and made money withdrawals using the OTP-free Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS). Eight people connected to the fraud were taken into custody by the Bihar Police, who are still looking into further participants.
Although AePS is intended to help with transactions in places with little internet access, its dependence on biometric verification leaves it open to abuse.
Because cybercriminals can mimic fingerprints, they can perpetrate fraud without the victim’s awareness.
Aadhaar users should hide their Aadhaar number, utilize a Virtual ID for transactions, and make sure their email and cellphone number get notifications in order to prevent AePS fraud. The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal is where victims should report events.
Concurrently, a new cyber fraud is emerging in which hackers use communications to convey phony banking URLs.
These URLs deceive victims into clicking on them by seeming as authentic bank notifications, which allows for immediate fund withdrawals without the need for an OTP verification.
Personal information is obtained by scammers from sources such as e-commerce platforms and online registrations.
They create false notifications regarding recent transactions or purchases using this information.
The victim’s bank account is hacked as soon as they click on the link.
Users should be alert, refrain from clicking on unwanted links, and confirm transactions immediately through legitimate banking applications or websites since cyber scams are changing quickly.
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