LIC issues cautionary notice against linking Aadhaar with policies through SMS

Earlier this month, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) made it mandatory to link your insurance policies with the unique identity number Aadhaar. The deadline for this is December 31, 2017, and the threat of withheld claims has galvanised policyholders into action. Fraudsters, predictably, are trying to make the most of this windfall opportunity.

LIC of India has just posted a worrying notice on its website, flagging off one such attempt. The insurance company claims that some messages have been circulating in social media-with the LIC emblem and logo-asking policyholders to link their Aadhaar number by sending SMS to designated number.

"LIC of India informs the public and policy holders that no such message has been sent by LIC. Also, no facility to link Aadhaar number to policies is available through SMS in LIC. As and when LIC will enable linking of Aadhaar number with policies through SMS, our website will be duly updated of this option," reads the notice.

Given that there are reportedly 24 life insurance companies and 33 general insurers, the scope for widespread fraud snowballs. Please be aware that financial institutions will never ask for any sensitive information, including OTPs, over the phone.

So how does one safely link their policies with their Aadhaar number? The easiest option is to login to the customer service portal of your insurance company and key in the relevant details. Non-registered users simply have to fill up a registration form first to generate their login ID. Alternatively, you can approach your insurance agent or the nearest branch office directly with a self-attested copy of your Aadhaar card in hand.