Guides

How to Lock Aadhaar Biometrics Online to Stop AePS Fraud, and Unlock When Needed

By Ravindra Bagale, Cyber Security trainer · LinkedIn · Published: 16 October 2026 · Last updated: 17 October 2026

To lock your Aadhaar biometrics, log in to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in (or the mAadhaar app) with your Aadhaar number and the OTP sent to your linked mobile, open Lock/Unlock Biometrics, and confirm. After that, nobody can use your fingerprint, iris or face for Aadhaar authentication, which stops AePS fraud with cloned fingerprints. When you need a biometric check (for example at a bank or for a SIM), use a temporary unlock; it locks again automatically.

A live example first

Sunita, a homemaker in Pune, found ₹10,000 missing from her bank account. Her passbook showed "AePS cash withdrawal" in another state. She had never shared an OTP. What happened?

Criminals had copied fingerprints from property registration documents that were openly available online, made fake silicone fingerprints, and used them with her Aadhaar number at a micro-ATM. AePS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) lets people withdraw cash with Aadhaar number + fingerprint, so no OTP was needed.

What she did:

1. Called 1930 and filed at cybercrime.gov.in the same day.
2. Gave a written complaint to her bank branch.
3. Locked her biometrics on myAadhaar:

myAadhaar → Login → Aadhaar number → OTP
Lock/Unlock Biometrics → "I understand..." ✓ → Lock Biometric
Status: Biometric locked

4. Checked Authentication History, which showed the biometric authentications on those dates.

Friends, a two-minute lock would have made the fake fingerprint useless.

How does the lock work?

When a bank, micro-ATM or SIM shop asks UIDAI to check your fingerprint, UIDAI first checks whether your biometrics are locked. If locked, the request fails, whoever is asking. OTP-based checks are not affected. When you choose temporary unlock, biometric checks work for a short window and then the lock returns by itself.

How do I lock biometrics step by step?

On the myAadhaar website

1. Open myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in (check the address ends in uidai.gov.in).
2. Click Login, enter your Aadhaar number and the captcha.
3. Enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile.
4. Choose Lock/Unlock Biometrics.
5. Read the note, tick the consent box, and click to lock.
6. You see a success message.

On the mAadhaar app (Android / iPhone)

1. Install mAadhaar from Play Store or App Store (publisher: UIDAI).
2. Register your profile with Aadhaar number and OTP.
3. Open My Aadhaar → Biometric Settings / Lock Biometrics.
4. Turn on the lock and confirm with OTP.

Temporarily unlock

1. Log in the same way.
2. Choose Lock/Unlock Biometrics → Unlock (temporary).
3. Give your fingerprint at the bank or shop within the window (about 10 minutes).
4. It locks again automatically.

Who should lock, and when to unlock

Other Aadhaar safety steps

Real example

Police in several states, including Telangana and Bihar, have arrested gangs that copied fingerprints from land registration documents uploaded on public websites, made silicone fingerprints, and withdrew money from victims' accounts through AePS. Many victims never shared an OTP, and the withdrawals were small enough to go unnoticed for weeks. Locking biometrics, and checking passbook entries marked "AePS", are the simple defences.

How to spot AePS fraud early

1. Read your bank SMS alerts. An "AePS withdrawal" or "Aadhaar pay" debit you did not make is a warning.
2. Update your passbook or check the bank app statement every week.
3. Open myAadhaar → Authentication History and look for biometric authentications on days you did not visit a bank, shop or SIM store.
4. If you find one, lock biometrics at once, then report to your bank in writing, call 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in.
5. Ask the bank for the transaction details (date, time, micro-ATM or agent ID). These help the police.

Help elderly parents set it up

Older people are the main targets, because they often use fingerprints for pension and bank services. Sit with them once, link their mobile number to Aadhaar if needed, lock the biometrics together, and show them how a temporary unlock works on the days they visit the bank. Write the steps on paper and keep it with their passbook.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Using a look-alike website. Only uidai.gov.in sites are official.
2. Sharing the login OTP. UIDAI or a bank will never ask for it on a call.
3. Forgetting to tell family. Parents and grandparents are often the main AePS targets.

Summary table