Avoid sending fake messages: Experts

Following the revelation of UIDAI number being saved by default in people’s phone contact list, fake messages reading ‘Presence of UIDAI number means somebody is trying to hack your personal information from your mobile’ are being circulated on Whatsapp.

A message read: “Hiii all, pls check your phone book if any new contact got added today, contact name is UIDAI.. I found it got auto added today in my contact book. If u find in yours pls delete as soon as possible. Somebody trying to hack your personal information from your mobile”(sic).

Likewise another message read: “A phone number by the name of *UIDAI* with number *1800-300-1947* has been mysteriously been added to the Contacts. I just checked my Contacts, it's there in my Contacts. So agencies can now access anything on our phones... i just deleted it so u all too pls its released on all TV media als pls ck..” (sic)

Experts advise people to refrain from sending such messages. A senior Hyderabad police official said: “The contact number can be deleted. It is not going to hack your personal information. People need to be careful about the apps they are installing on their phone”.

Meanwhile, Google has turned into a humorous affair after it confessed of adding the UIDAI contact. A user tweeted: “August15 is around the corner, so UIDAI is making you realise the importance of 1947 (sic)”.