A passport is the main document of a citizen of the Russian Federation. When using an original or a copy of a document, care must be taken. You should not provide your passport information unless necessary. It should be remembered that information can be used. Modern realities provide unscrupulous citizens with a whole list of ways to use other people's information. To protect yourself, it is important to know in advance how fraudsters can use your passport information. The list of frauds is not limited to classic obtaining a loan. We will talk further about the methods that fraudsters can resort to to steal data, the illegal use of information and methods to prevent the theft of information.
Passport data can be used for registration on the casino website or other Internet pages. The easiest way to protect yourself is to carefully handle the document. However, even in this case, there is a possibility that scammers will get hold of important information. The chance of information theft can be minimized.
Current legislation allows a citizen to monitor all passport transactions performed by government employees. There are other ways to deal with scammers. To study them all, you need to familiarize yourself with the latest information on the topic in advance.
Experts advise handling your passport carefully. You should not trust your data to other people. A similar rule applies not only to passports, but also applies to other papers, such as SNILS. You need to monitor not only the original document, but also its copies. Photographs of papers must not be allowed. The information they contain is sufficient to commit an unlawful act.
Important! The main question that concerns citizens who have allowed their data to leak to third parties is whether fraudsters can take out a loan using their passport data without the passport itself? Experts say that such fraud is possible. Today there are many companies operating online and providing loans based on the information contained in the main document of a citizen of the Russian Federation. To apply for a loan from such a company, a copy of the document or information contained in it is sufficient.
There are a number of other illegal actions for which a citizen’s passport data is used.
Having received information from a photocopy or original passport, the fraudster will be able to carry out the following manipulations:
- carry out fraud online,
- gain access to a credit or telephone card,
- make duplicate documentation for various transactions,
- register a company,
- obtain housing rights,
- receive loans from microfinance organizations,
- borrow money from private individuals,
- carry out other illegal manipulations.
Most actions are difficult to complete. However, they are all possible. For this reason, a citizen who transfers passport information to third parties must understand all the possible consequences of such an action.
If a person has become a victim of fraud, he usually discovers that he has taken out a loan or a registered company.
Note! Usually a company is created to perform fraudulent manipulations. Using passport data, a person is appointed to a leadership position. In this situation, the person on whose behalf the manipulations were carried out may be held liable for all actions performed by the company. Loans will also have to be repaid.
In this situation, a person can apply to the court. However, the proceedings often last several years. The court's decision depends on the individual nuances of the incident.
Ways to steal a copy of your passport
Various government agencies often require a copy of your passport to perform the required action. This gives scammers a free hand. They can collude with third parties copying the document and steal data.
Important! Today on the Internet you can find offers that allow you to get a copy of your passport for a few dollars. For this reason, you should be extra careful when making a photocopy.
Even the most trusted organizations can become sources of information leaks. You can perform a number of illegal actions if you know the document number. No other data is required.
Information theft can be carried out:
- bank employee,
- mobile phone salon specialist,
- collector.
Often, passport data falls into the wrong hands during dismissal. An offended person with access to information can easily pass it on to another person. This leads to the fact that scammers can steal the passport data of any person.
How to protect yourself from illegal actions?
The increasing frequency of passport data fraud creates a need for information protection. Today, there are several ways to protect information from theft. The simplest and most effective of them is vigilance.
If a person is forced to hand over his TIN or passport to a government agency employee, he is allowed to observe all the actions of the specialists. This right is present in the following situations:
- processing a bank loan,
- carrying out exchange transactions,
- scanning or making copies,
- putting stamps in the passport,
- other manipulations performed with the data of the main document of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
The rights of every person are protected by law. If a citizen's passport data has been stolen, the fraudsters can be prosecuted.
Important! As soon as a person begins to suspect that his personal data has been stolen, he should immediately contact law enforcement agencies. This will prevent possible negative consequences.
If a person has discovered that personal data has been stolen, he can go directly to court. However, the proceedings will take a long time and require a lot of effort. Proving a fraudster is not always easy. To prevent unpleasant consequences, it is worthwhile to carefully monitor your personal information in advance. By being vigilant, a person will protect himself as much as possible from theft of passport data.
Having found or stolen a passport, a fraudster can re-stick a photograph in it. As a result, a person can live for a long time under someone else’s name and surname. It is possible that the fraudster will try to break into the home of the real owner of the passport.
A fraudster can apply for a loan using a fake one. It’s more difficult to do this now, but criminals often deal with dishonest bank employees.
Using someone else’s passport or fraudsters can register a company and carry out dubious transactions through it. In addition, the passport holder is also appointed as the formal director of such a company. Then there is a threat of holding a person accountable for illegal actions committed by fraudsters.
Even with only a person’s passport details, a criminal can cause him trouble. For example, a fraudster enters into an agreement on behalf of another person and indicates his passport information in it. The counterparty, without checking the passport, signs all the papers. Further, having received money under this agreement, the fraudster soon disappears safely. As a result, the injured party begins to present its claims to the unsuspecting passport holder.
Using someone else's passport data, attackers can register ownership of any property, for example, a car. And if damage is caused by this car, the demands will also be addressed to the owner of the passport.
How to protect yourself from scammers
If a person or someone has been stolen, you should immediately file a statement with the police. At the same time, you must immediately begin processing a new passport.
If possible, a person should not give the passport or its copies to strangers, even for a few hours. If this happens, then you need to note for yourself when and to whom the passport or its data was given. If an unpleasant situation arises, it will be easier to get on the trail of the scammers.
If a person finds out that an enterprise is registered in his name or that he is its director, he must urgently contact the tax office at his place of residence, as well as the police. The fact is that registering an enterprise using someone else’s passport data is a criminal offense.
If fraudsters have issued a loan to a person, you need to obtain a copy of the loan agreement from the bank or collection company. After this, the victim must apply to the court with a claim to declare such an agreement invalid. During the consideration of the case, the question of ordering a handwriting examination should be raised before the court. This will reveal the fact of forgery of signatures on the loan agreement. The same should be done if criminals enter into other agreements.
Any documents that confirm a person’s identity should be given special attention. Especially when it comes to a passport. Personal information contained in this document must be kept confidential from unauthorized persons. This is due to the fact that today there are many ways in which fraudsters can use passport data.
How can unauthorized persons use information from your passport?
Regardless of how fraudsters can use a person’s passport data, he needs to carefully monitor his passport and the copies of this document made. After all, their actions can lead to very serious consequences.
As soon as fraudsters were able to take possession of personal data from a passport, they can immediately take advantage of this opportunity for their own selfish purposes!
What can scammers do with another person’s passport information? Under certain circumstances, it can be used to:
- apply for a loan from a bank;
- accumulate debts;
- take away an apartment;
- carry out fraud on the Internet;
- register a company;
- obtain duplicate documents for various transactions;
- manage credit or telephone cards;
- carry out other illegal actions.
Fraud with passport data is most often carried out for the purpose of obtaining a loan from a bank. This is possible thanks to the joint efforts of the fraudsters themselves and the bank employee. There are already many known cases where people have become hostage to such a situation and are now paying off loans that they never took out.
Often people have to find out that their data was taken to register an enterprise and various frauds are carried out through them. As a rule, with the help of a copy of a passport, a person’s identity is assigned to a management position in a company. Then the person can be held accountable and will be responsible for all actions that were committed by fraudsters within this company.
After committing illegal actions by fraudsters, an ordinary citizen can sue their actions. The process of asserting your rights can take a long time. To do this, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort to ultimately prove your innocence.
The legal process can last for several years, during which a person may lose stability, financial income, real estate and receive unaffordable loan payments.
The video talks about this kind of fraud
How scammers can get a copy of your passport
Everyone understands well that today in Moscow, as in any other city, the service of photocopying documents is very popular. Outsiders who intend to obtain passport information may be colluding with one of the companies that offer such services. . On the Internet, people have long been offering to buy copies of passports for just a few dollars.
This copy can be used for:
- registration on dating sites;
- participation in online games;
- opening an electronic wallet.
Information leakage can occur in any case, which makes a person practically unprotected.
Very often information can fall into the wrong hands when it happens. It is in this case that an offended employee, having all the possibilities for this, can take various illegal actions, including an attempt to use someone else’s passport data. To do this, he just needs to rewrite or photograph the information.
Thus, any citizen is not immune from the fact that someone can use his passport data at any time .
Security measures
The current situation does not allow completely protect a person from passport data fraud. If possible, everyone should try not to provide their personal information to anyone.
If a person needs to show his passport or identification number series, then he has the right to monitor all the actions of an employee of any organization.
This may happen during:
- stamping;
- photocopies of documents;
- loan processing;
- performing exchange transactions;
- in any other cases.
Every person should be aware that other people may face criminal penalties for the illegal use of their personal data. That is why, as soon as you suspect that personal information from your passport was used for criminal purposes, you must immediately.
Hello!
I would like to clarify one point: in everyday life I very often come across the situation that they ask me to show my passport, and then they make a copy of it in front of me.
As far as I understand, any organization that has a copy of my passport or my passport data becomes the owner of my personal data and is obliged to store it.
Can I request a written undertaking from the organization not to disclose my personal data?
Vladimir A.
Hello, Vladimir!
Kristina Frolova
You are absolutely right. The passport contains your personal data. The person to whom you provide it becomes the controller of personal data and must comply with the requirements of the law: use the data for a specific purpose, store it in a secure place and prevent leakage. Operators themselves must request your consent to process personal information.
Be wary when a passport copy is made without your consent. If fraudsters get your passport information, you may face unpleasant consequences.
Now more details.
We already But let's remember the main thing again.
By law, personal data is any information relating to an individual. Anyone who receives and uses information about other people becomes a data controller and must comply with the law.
Therefore, you can safely request from the company that received a copy of your passport or passport data an undertaking not to disclose this data. It’s better to ask the company for a data processing agreement. It must be there.
By law, the operator must obtain written consent to process personal data if this data is not needed by the court or government. authorities (Article 6 of the Law on Personal Data). The consent must specify the data that is required from you and the purpose for which it is needed.
If there is no agreement, you may be dealing with scammers.
What are the risks of passport data leakage?
A loan or microloan may be issued in your name. The scammers will get the money, and you will get calls from collectors and the obligation to repay the debt. Of course, such a loan can be challenged in court, but you will waste time and nerves.
You can become the founder of a fly-by-night company. Passport data is enough to register an LLC in your name or open an individual entrepreneur. Shell companies are used for money laundering and organizing deliberate or fictitious bankruptcy, for which the founder is also responsible.
Your data may be used for illegal financial transactions. To remove restrictions in some payment systems, it is enough to present a photo of your passport. In this case, you risk becoming involved in cases of illegal trade or terrorist financing.
How to protect yourself
First, provide passport information only to trusted people and companies when a passport is really needed. For example, you cannot do without a passport if you are signing an apartment rental agreement or getting a loan from a bank. If you are not buying a product in installments, and the store asks you for a photocopy of your passport, it is better to refuse.
Secondly, do not let us make copies of all pages of the passport. The first page and the registration page are usually sufficient.
Finally, if possible, write on the passport copy which company it was made for. Or blur out or cross out some information, such as your signature.
If you have a question about personal finance, luxury purchases or family budgeting, write to: [email protected]. We will answer the most interesting questions in the magazine.