Can Someone Hack your Bank Account If They Know Your Aadhaar Number? 3 Myths Busted by UIDAI

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has busted some common myths about Aadhaar Card and their reliability on Twitter. Powered by WhatsApp message groups and people’s paranoia, several false information has been circulating among the general population of India.

UIDAI took to Twitter, launching the #AadhaarMythBusters campaign to clear the air. Here are some of the facts UIDAI put out about the Aadhaar Card:

Myth- If someone knows my Aadhar number, then they can hack my bank account.

Fact- Bank accounts cannot be hacked by only using your Aadhaar card number. If you don’t wish to disclose your Aadhaar number, then you can use Virtual ID (VID) or Masked Aadhaar, both of which are widely accepted.

If you keep your PIN or OTP from the bank private, your bank account is secure. You can rest confident that Aadhaar has not been the cause of any financial losses. Banking and other services cannot be accessed with just an Aadhaar number.

Myth- When I link my bank account, shares, mutual funds, and my mobile number with Aadhaar: UIDAI will get all my financial information.

Fact- UIDAI only authenticates/ verifies your identity through your Aadhaar and does not keep information related to any financial transactions.

You may be confident that UIDAI does not currently and never will have access to personal information regarding your bank accounts, shares, mutual funds, financial and property details, health records, family, caste, religion, education, etc.

In reality, UIDAI is absolutely prohibited by Section 32(3) of the Aadhaar Act 2016 from regulating, collecting, preserving, or maintaining any information for the purpose of authentication, either directly or indirectly. Aadhaar is not a tool for profiling; it is an identification.

Myth- Aadhaar is mandatory to get any mobile sim/ connection.

Fact- No! Aadhaar is not a mandatory document for getting any mobile sim/connection. As per the amendments to the Telegraph Act, 1885, telecom users can use their Aadhaar numbers as KYC documents along with authentication on a voluntary basis for getting a new mobile connection.

Additionally, it is encouraged to use an identifier like Aadhaar to confirm the identity of all mobile customers for your protection and the security of our nation. Most criminals and terrorists, it has been discovered, obtain SIM cards issued in the names of fake or even genuine persons without their knowledge and use them to perpetrate crimes and fraud.

The fraudsters, criminals, terrorists, or money launderers using such throwaway mobiles can be quickly discovered and punished in accordance with the law if the mobile number is validated and linked with Aadhaar.