Story:
Mobiles Hacked Nationally, Delete UIDAI Contact Immediately!
#IMPORTANT
Pls check ur contact list.. new contact named as UIDAI is automatically added today in ur mobile..
This is powerful technique of hacking made by hackers…
Pls check urgently..And delete it directly…without opening details…
#sharemax
Other Versions
All android phone users pls check ur contacts once
If there is a contact named UIDAI, PLEASE DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY
An online hacker has breached a firewall and has accessed the contact list of all android users
Fact Check:
Certain messages doing rounds on WhatsApp and social media sites warn Indians about mobile phones hack nationally. They claim a new contact named as UIDAI is automatically added to phones, asking users to delete UIDAI contact immediately. Allegedly, an online hacker has breached a firewall and also accessed the contact list of all android phone users. Although some media channels reported about it, the mobile hack messages asking to delete UIDAI contact immediately are not true.
Origin of Story Asking to Delete UIDAI Contact
In early August 2018, many android mobile phone users started complaining about a mysterious UIDAI helpline number 1800-300-1947 in their contact list. UIDAI in fact stands for Unique Identification Authority of India, which provided citizens the Aadhaar card. The concerns about hacking and security of data surfaced after a French security researcher by name Elliot Alderson posted about the UIDAI contact number on Twitter, as a possible concern.
Do you have @UIDAI in your contact list by default?
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
The people who checked their phones and saw the UIDAI contact found it strange and surprising. They worried whether the hacker or UIDAI could possibly access their phonebooks. Soon some journalists and news agencies in India jumped in claiming that phones have been ‘hacked’ nationally and that it was ‘bizarre’. That is how the story became popular since then and appeared again in WhatsApp forwards.
Google Took the Responsibility
Following the concerns about the ‘hacking’ and UIDAI contact number, Google came up and gave a clarification. Google in fact took the responsibility of adding the UIDAI contact in android phones built for India. The 11-digit helpline number 1800-300-1947 listed under ‘UIDAI’ was coded into Android devices in 2014 and remained there since. Google India explained about it on Twitter, assuring it is not a case of unauthorized access of Android devices. It suggested users can delete UIDAI contact number manually, also mentioning they will work on fixing it in upcoming release.
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) August 3, 2018
In a series of Twitter messages, official account of the Unique Identification Authority of India said they did not ask anyone to add the UIDAI contact number. They also clarified the Toll-free no. 1800-300-1947 is outdated & invalid and mentioned the functional Aadhaar Toll free number 1947. Some vested interests are trying to create unwarranted confusion in the public and defame Aadhaar program, UIDAI added.
… It is clarified that, UIDAI has not asked or communicated to any manufacturer or service provider for providing any such facility whatsoever. 2/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 3, 2018
To conclude, the messages warning Indians about mobile phones hack, asking to delete UIDAI contact immediately are hoaxes. Google took the responsibility of it, clarifying the UIDAI contact in some android devices is not a case of unauthorized access. So, you need not worry about the old and outdated UIDAI helpline number 1800-300-1947 and delete it manually. Additionally, if you need, you can as well add the Aadhaar toll-free helpline number 1947 provided by UIDAI.
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.
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