AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 12283 - ‘Aadhaar linking is latest arsenal for cybercrime fraudsters’

In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.

On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.

In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.

In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.

In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.

"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi

Ram Krishnaswamy

Sydney, Australia.

Aadhaar

The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018

When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi

“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.

Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.

Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha

“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh

But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP

“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.

August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden

In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.

Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.

Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.

UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy

1) Denial

2) Issue fiats and point finger

3) Shoot messenger

4) Bury head in sand.

God Save India

Sunday, November 5, 2017

12283 - ‘Aadhaar linking is latest arsenal for cybercrime fraudsters’ - Hindustan Times

‘Aadhaar linking is latest arsenal for cybercrime fraudsters’

As India shifts to a cashless economy, cyber threats are at a new high with the number of incidents occurring in banking systems increasing in the last few years. Data released by the Pune Police clearly mentions that increasing cyber fraud in the city has created an extra burden for the police force. Hindustan Times spoke to Rohan Nyayadhish, director of Digital Task Force, Cyber Crime Helpline.

PUNE Updated: Oct 30, 2017 18:44 Ist

Shrinivas Deshpande

Hindustan Times, Pune

Rohan Nyayadhish, director of Digital Task Force, Cyber Crime Helpline. (HT PHOTO)

As a cybercrime expert, why do you think that there is an increase in the number of cyber frauds?

We all are living in a cyber world. Internet is a two-edged weapon, it depends on how you use it. Inappropriate use of internet creates opportunity for miscreants to commit fraud.

According to data released by the Pune police, there are new trends in cybercrime. Can you please elaborate on these trends?

There are new trends in cybercrime. Criminals are now not using traditional ways, they use modern technology. According to me, there are three types of crime which are trending. First is money transfer using card credentials, second is GST-ITR filing fraud and third and most trending is Aadhaar card linking fraud. In the third type of fraud, criminals are mostly targeting people in the old age group.

Can you please explain the Aadhaar card linking fraud?

In this type of fraud, people receive a call from a fake bank employee. These fake employees collect your bank account details saying that they will link your Aadhaar number to the bank account. In such type of fraud, there is theft of information of your cards. This information is then used to make online transactions. Those on the other side lure them and collect details about the ATM card numbers, passwords and bank account details. The fraudsters threaten people by saying that their cards would be deactivated in case they do not cooperate.

Pune police claimed that they had recovered ₹60 lakh, do you think it is enough?

If this figure of recovered amount is compared to the figure of the number of cases registered, then it is a disappointment. The conviction rate in cybercrime related cases is also very less. It becomes difficult for cops to deal with such cases, if they do not have technical training. I have conducted many lectures and seminars for the police force and I feel that many police personnel still require training. Transfer issue, lack of interest, lack of technical background, infrastructure issues are some of the problems faced by the cops.

Do you have any suggestion for these problems?

According to me, there is large scale change in the recruitment process of the police force. Along with other criteria, there should be technical criteria too during recruitment because cybercrime is not only related to ‘Cyber Police Branch’. Every cop should be able to investigate cybercrime. Also, the government should not transfer any cop having expertise in cybercrime to other divisions, otherwise there will be a loss of his expertise.

What do you want to appeal to our readers?

Please be aware and do not share your bank details in any circumstance. I especially request old people to be aware. Also keep your system updated. Do not open any unknown mail.