If you have any doubts about an Aadhaar card, here are some easy ways to verify whether it's genuine. Timely verification can help prevent problems like identity theft, cyber fraud, and online fraud.

The Aadhaar card is one of the most essential documents in India. It serves as an identity card for banking, SIM cards, government schemes, employment, and many other essential services. However, cases of fake Aadhaar cards have increased rapidly in recent times. Fake Aadhaar cards are being used in cyber fraud, fake bank accounts, fake SIM cards, and online fraud.

The biggest problem is that many fake Aadhaar cards look exactly like the real ones, making them difficult to identify with just the eyes. Therefore, it's crucial to know how to verify the authenticity of an Aadhaar card. Fortunately, there are a few simple methods that can be used to verify your Aadhaar card without any technical knowledge.

Check with Aadhaar number

The easiest way to identify an Aadhaar card is to verify its 12-digit unique number. Every genuine Aadhaar number is issued by the UIDAI. If the Aadhaar number is valid and active, some basic information such as gender, age, and state are displayed during verification. This helps determine whether the Aadhaar number is present in the system. If the number is fake or inactive, the system will not recognize it.

To do this, visit the official UIDAI portal and click on Verify Aadhaar, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the captcha. If the card is fake, the number will not be displayed in the system.

Identify the real Aadhaar by scanning the QR code

Every Aadhaar card comes with a secure QR code that stores digitally encrypted information. This is considered the safest way to detect fake Aadhaar cards.

Scanning a QR code reveals information such as the user's name, photo, date of birth, gender, and address. Scan the QR code using the Aadhaar QR Scanner app (available for mobile/desktop). If the scanned information doesn't match the details printed on the card, the Aadhaar may be fake or tampered.

Verify with digital apps

Many official Aadhaar apps and digital platforms allow you to verify your Aadhaar by scanning a QR code. This eliminates the need to rely solely on photocopies or printed cards. Digital verification makes it easier to identify fraudulent copies that have been edited.

Don't ignore these signs

Although many fake Aadhaar cards these days look very similar to the real ones, some minor mistakes can reveal their identity. Therefore, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as:

• blurry printing
• QR Code not showing properly
• spelling mistakes
• Crooked or misaligned text
• Poor quality photo
• Incorrect placement of UIDAI logo
• Different or unusual fonts

Take these precautions while using Aadhaar

One should always exercise caution when sharing Aadhaar-related information.

• Do not share your Aadhaar copy unnecessarily.
• Avoid uploading Aadhaar on unknown websites
• Do not click on fake verification links
• Verify Aadhaar only on trusted platforms
• Use Masked Aadhaar wherever possible

A little caution can save you from problems like big fraud and identity theft.

PC: Prabhat Khabar