Identity fraud is not new, and fraudsters will go to great lengths to steal their victim’s identity. In the latest edition of VRT Radio 1’s podcast ‘Het uur van de waarheid’ (The Hour of Truth) the Federal Police cybercrime expert Christophe Van Bortel warns of the dangers of sharing photographs of your identity card.
Home News
How to prevent criminals using a photograph of you ID card to sign contracts in your name
Published:
Criminals can use the information contained on a photograph of an identity card such as a person’s National Register identity number to take out loans or a telecom subscription in their unsuspecting victim’s name.
Mr Van Bortel told the VRT that criminals will go to great lengths in their efforts to obtain photographs of both sides of an identity document. The cybercrime expert notes that this type of fraud is prevalent during certain times of the year. During the past two years police in the Antwerp area say that they have received an increase in the number reports of fraud using photographs of identity cards with peaks during the autumn months and in December. Criminals are now also using stolen identity data to take out energy supply contracts.
"They sign the contract in your name, but use, for example, a different e-mail address with which they correspond with the supplier”.
How do the fraudster go to work?
But how do the fraudsters obtain the data contained on their victim’s identity documents in the first place?
• Phishing: "The most well-known way is via phishing. You receive a text message or e-mail with a link. That message urges you to urgently fix something, often you have to leave your details somewhere."
• False job offers: For a so-called job application, you will be asked to add a copy of your ID card. "Unfortunately, you will not find a new job, but criminals will have you ID data."
• Second-hand trading platforms: "Here criminals pretend to be a suspicious buyer or seller. They asks you to prove that you are really interested by sending him a copy of your ID, stating that they had been a victim of fraud in the past. The same practice also occurs when applying for a house or flat through real estate websites".
On the increase?
Mr Van Bortel told the VRT that in areas other than Antwerp there is currently not a noticeable increase in the number of reports of identity fraud.
"Identity fraud can be committed in various ways, both physically and online. It is impossible to register all these forms separately. Cybercrime is evolving very quickly, which makes matters even more difficult."
What can be done to prevent it?
Mr Van Bortel says you should think twice before giving someone a copy of your ID card. Consider whether it is necessary. "Certainly, on second-hand platforms, you should never give a copy to anyone."
If it required for a job vacancy or its requested by a public body, the advice is not to send a clean copy. In The Netherlands, the government has had an app developed for this purpose, which makes sensitive data on a copy of your identity card invisible. This way, other people cannot do anything with it when they receive it. You can also add a filter or watermark with the date or the add a date. Anyone (including people here in Belgium) can download the app via the various app stores."
What should victims do?
Anyone who is a victim of identity fraud should first report this to the police. However, as it is likely that the photograph of the identity document will continue to circulate online, Mr Van Bortel advises victims to request a replacement card.
“Your new card will have a different card number than the stolen one. This way you can prove afterwards that it is not you if anything untoward happens”.