Safeguarding Your Identity: Is Your Aadhaar Card Being Misused?

Aadhaar card is a government identification that is approved by the Government of India. It comes with a discreet identification number for every user, making it easier to have a database. You can also use this piece of identification for getting mobile connections and SIM cards. However, there have been multiple reported incidents where Aadhaar cardholders have complained about their identification numbers being associated with phone numbers that are not owned by them or their friends and family. So is your Aadhaar card being misused?

Reason

There are a few reasons why this might be happening. Firstly, the connection providers often tend to customers that do not have a supporting government ID proof but are in need of a connection. In this case, the seller can go through their personal database and dig up an ID that can support the connection and issue it. This is not legal but, still, a running practice in multiple cities in the country.

The second reason behind this can be someone getting hold of your ID without your knowledge. It is very easy to print a copy of the Aadhaar card if the unique number is known. This creates a loophole in the system, as anyone can print any Aadhaar card. If someone gets hold of your Aadhaar card, it is very easy to issue a number for them based on your ID.

How to Check and Stop it?

All of these sound very scary and problematic, but is there a way to check them and stop them? Yes, there is. A website with the name TAFCOP allows you to check the number of SIM card connections issued against your Aadhaar card. All you need to do is follow some steps and check:

Step 1: Enter Your Mobile Number linked to Aadhaar and  Request an OTP

Step 2: Enter the OTP and You Will be Redirected

Step 3: Check the Connections that have been issued.

If you find a number that is not issued to someone you know, you can click on the "This is not my number" option and stop the number. This will file an official application for deactivating the number. There is no set limit, and you can do it for as many numbers as you want.

Disclaimer: The website says that the facility is only available for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh users, but it works for numbers all across the country. Try this and see if you are the owner of cellphone connections you are not even aware of.