Cybercriminals in Bihar have discovered a new trick, by which money is being withdrawn from people’s bank accounts without OTP. This shocking case has surprised everyone. A fraud case has come to light in the Purnia district of Bihar from a person’s account without any OTP, phone call, or other common method.
In this case, cybercriminals used the Aadhaar biometrics data of the victim obtained from government land records to make transactions using the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System. Bihar Police revealed this unique scam in a press conference, the video of which was shared by Haryana IPS officer Pankaj Jain on X (Twitter).
Explaining the mode of operation of this scam, Bihar Police said that the cybercrime gang obtained the victim’s land documents of June 25, 2024, by breaking into the government database. After this, the criminals stole the victim’s Aadhaar details and fingerprints from the land documents.
After this, the criminal allegedly impersonated the victim by cloning the thumbprint taken from the land records. They then withdrew money from the victim’s bank account through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System using the cloned thumb impression and the victim’s Aadhaar details. Since AePS enables payments without any OTP, the criminals were able to steal money using illegally obtained Aadhaar details and fingerprints.
Bihar Police has arrested 8 culprits in this case. This gang regularly dupes people with money without OTP or uses fraudulent phone calls. Further investigation is underway and officials are searching for the rest of the criminals.
As soon as this dangerous cyber crime was revealed, the government has taken immediate action. Cyber security agencies have started searching for this gang and instructions have also been given to increase the security of government websites. Common citizens also need to be alert. Be aware of the security of your Aadhaar and bank accounts and avoid any unknown links or phone calls. If you notice any suspicious activity, immediately inform your bank and the police.
Government agencies related to technical security also need to strengthen their security system to protect the general public from such threats.
