Beware of fake social media messages that talk about SMS-based Aadhaar-LIC linking

You might be aware that LIC policyholders must now link their Aadhaar and PAN to their policies according to a directive issued by the Government of India. The deadline for the Aadhaar-LIC linking is December 31, 2017. And unsurprisingly, fraudsters have started misusing this news to their advantage. How? Read what follows.

While LIC has started informing its policyholders to start linking their policies with their PAN and Aadhaar, it has also issued the below cautionary advice on its website:

“Our attention is drawn to some messages circulated in social media with our Emblem and logo asking policyholders to link their Aadhaar number by sending SMS to designated number…no such message has been sent by LIC. Also, no facility to link Aadhaar number to policies is available through SMS in LIC”.

Source: https://www.licindia.in/getattachment/Home-(1)/Notice_Linking_Aadhaar_On_SMS-(1).pdf.aspx

If our readers can recollect, we had published a story on how a Mumbai-based man received a fraudulent SMS asking him to link his phone number to Aadhaar and in the process, he lost 1.3 Lakh. Read this post here: https://bit.ly/2kHS8Xv

Fraudsters are trying to pull off a similar trick using the news about Aadhaar-LIC linking. LIC has cautioned people not to fall for such fake messages and always check with LIC officers before sharing their personal information.

As of now, policyholders can link their Aadhaar to their policies through their official website. You can read the instructions here: https://www.licindia.in/Home/Link_Aadhaar_and_PAN_to_Policy

How to stay safe from such scams

• On receiving any news that involves sharing your personal information, always check with the concerned authority (in this case, LIC).
• Emails or messages that ask you to share your personal information always carry an urgent tone. Do not panic and follow what’s mentioned in step 1.
• Never click on links or download attachments that come in emails from unexpected, unknown, or unwanted emails or messages.
• Even if you receive such messages from a friend, verify its source before acting on it.

If you found this post helpful, then share it with your friends and family members who have invested in LIC policies. Stay safe.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/business/beware-no-sms-based-aadhaar-lic-policy-linking-facility-launched-yet-1783151

Rajiv Singha