Aadhaar Copy Misuse for SIM and Loan Fraud over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

Callers pretend to be bank staff, police, a courier, a telecom officer or a relative, and they try to keep you on the line while you act. Aadhaar Copy Misuse for SIM and Loan Fraud is one of the ways this shows up: A copy of your Aadhaar or PAN handed over for a sale, rental or job is reused for SIM cards and loans. See how to share documents safely.

What aadhaar copy misuse for sim and loan fraud looks like over the phone

• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.
• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.

A seller, buyer or agent asks for ID proof as a normal step. On online marketplaces a buyer may say they need your ID to complete a courier pickup. A job recruiter asks for copies for background verification before sending any offer. The request feels routine, so you send a clear photo through chat or hand over a copy with no note on it.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A buyer asks for your Aadhaar before any payment.
• A recruiter asks for ID copies before an offer letter.
• A shop or camp asks for your documents for a free gift.
• You are asked to send ID photos through chat.
• You are told to keep the call secret.
• The caller wants you to install an app to "fix" something.

What to do

1. Do not share ID photos unless the organisation is verified and the need is clear.
2. When you must give a copy, write the purpose and date across it, such as 'for room rental only'.
3. Use the masked Aadhaar option available through official sources where accepted.
4. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
5. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
6. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. If a loan or SIM appears in your name, report it to the provider through its official support.
2. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and with the local police station for the misuse.
3. Call 1930 if money was taken from your accounts.
4. Lock your Aadhaar biometrics on the official service and keep the complaint numbers.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio Sentinel's scam check can read the chat or message you paste and point out requests for identity documents before payment, and it supports a Money Shield checklist before you send any money. The privacy tools show the permissions apps hold and let you export or delete your own data. It cannot see your credit report or stop someone using a copy already shared.

Full guide: Aadhaar Copy Misuse for SIM and Loan Fraud: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: fake app, social media.

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