How To Lock Your Aadhaar Biometrics And Minimise Risk Of Fraud

Your Aadhaar number is attached with many essential services, such as bank accounts, Permanent Account Number (PAN), mobile numbers, mutual fund investments, Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) accounts, government subsidies, among others. This broad usage makes Aadhaar the primary, most-widely accepted, and comprehensive identity document. That's why it is also important to protect it from misuse.

One security measure that is not known to many people is biometric locking. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) gives all Aadhaar holders the permissions to lock their Aadhaar with fingerprint and iris data. Once it is locked, biometric authentication cannot be used unless the holder temporarily unlocks it. This feature can help reduce the risk of fraud, especially in cases involving Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.

What is Biometric Locking

Biometric locking disables the use of your finger print and iris scan for Aadhaar authentication. This means that even if a person has access to your Aadhaar number, they cannot authenticate transactions using your biometrics unless you unlock them first.

This feature is especially useful if you are worried about misuse through Aadhaar-Enabled Payment Systems (AePS) or unauthorised attempts at authentication. It serves as an added layer of protection without impacting most day-to-day digital banking activities.

How to Lock Aadhaar Biometrics Online

You can lock your biometrics through official UIDAI website. Here are the steps:

• Go to the UIDAI portal and the Aadhaar services. 

• Select biometric lock or unlock option. 

• Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the captcha code that you can see on the screen. 

• On your registered mobile number, you will receive a one-time password (OTP). 

• After confirming the OTP, you can proceed with the biometric locking.

Using the mAadhaar App

Biometric locking can also be done using the mAadhaar mobile application. After logging in using your Aadhaar number and OTP, you need to go to the biometric settings section. You can then activate the biometric lock option. The app also permits you to unlock biometrics on a temporary basis if required.

What Happens once You Lock Your Biometrics

Once your biometrics is locked, fingerprint or iris-based authentication will not work. So, if you need to use biometric verification for some specific transaction, you can unlock it using OTP authentication. The unlocking is temporary and the biometrics is automatically locked again after a short period of time.

This feature does not affect services, such as Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments, Netbanking, and debit or credit card payments. It only blocks the biometric-based Aadhaar authentication.

Why Biometric Locking is Important

AePS allow transactions based on fingerprint authentication, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. While convenient, there have been some cases of misuse where biometric data has been used without consent. Locking biometrics minimises this risk.

UIDAI also offers an option to know your Aadhaar authentication history online. Reviewing this periodically can help you determine if there is any suspicious activity.

Basic precautions are still important. Do not share OTPs. Photocopying of Aadhaar should be avoided unless it is necessary. Wherever possible, use masked Aadhaar for non-financial verification.