Technology is a boon and a great leveller because it does not differentiate between users. However, fraudsters and cheaters are way ahead of ordinary people when it comes to using technology for fraud. This week we will see how Instagram/ Facebook messages followed by nude video calls are being used to blackmail the recipient. We will also check how loan apps are making life difficult for borrowers even for a small repayment issue and how a gang created fingerprints of people to siphon off money through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS).
Fingerprint Cloning from Aadhaar to Siphon Money
Fingerprints were first used for crime detection. Over time it also became clear that fingerprinting was not as fool-proof as its advocates would suggest. Yet, in India, biometrics or fingerprinting was introduced through the Aadhaar number identification system.
A gang of people, registered as common service centres (CSCs) for e-governance services through municipalities and villages in the Gwalior district, learned this technique very fast. By stealing thumb impressions of villagers, they cloned fingerprints and withdrew money through AEPS.
