Aadhaar has become essential for almost every official and financial task in India. From linking bank accounts and PAN cards to mobile numbers, your Aadhaar is everywhere. Unfortunately, this has made it a target for scammers, who can drain bank accounts through Aadhaar-related fraud. Even a small lapse in security can put your money at risk.

Here are three effective ways to protect your Aadhaar and your bank account:

You can lock your biometric data—fingerprints and iris scans—through the UIDAI website. This feature prevents anyone from using your Aadhaar for AePS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System), significantly reducing the risk of fraud. Once locked, even if someone tries to authenticate using your biometrics, it won’t work.

UIDAI allows you to lock or unlock your Aadhaar at any time. To do this, visit the official UIDAI website, go to Aadhaar Services under the My Aadhaar section, and select Lock/Unlock Aadhaar. Locking your Aadhaar ensures that no one can authenticate you for banking or other services without your consent. You can unlock it whenever you need to use it safely.

When sharing Aadhaar for services such as hotel check-ins or official verification, use the Masked Aadhaar option from the UIDAI website. This version shows only the last few digits of your Aadhaar number, keeping your full number hidden and reducing the risk of misuse.

Remember, no bank or UIDAI official will ever call you asking for OTPs. If anyone claims to call from a bank or Aadhaar office requesting OTPs for Aadhaar-related work, disconnect immediately and do not share the OTP under any circumstances.

By following these simple steps, you can secure your Aadhaar and protect your bank account from potential fraud.