As reported by i.pl, it is growing number of thefts of PESEL numbers and attempts to use this information for the purpose of obtaining loans from banks. The website quotes bank employees talking about the growing practice, as well as some disturbing details. It turns out that currently criminals are able to find out which PESEL numbers are protected (by blocking) and which are not. This makes fraud attempts much easier, saving criminals time.
If you try to use a restricted number, it will end in failure – it will be impossible to take out a loan, purchase installments and more. Cyber ​​fraudsters have learned to select only those numbers that are unprotected – this way it is easier to use them. As reported by the Polish Bank Association, in the second quarter of this year, over 3,200 loan fraud attempts were recorded. In total, attempts were made to take out PLN 80 million in unfair loans. This result is 5% higher than in the first 3 months of this year.
When faced with such information, it is worth ensuring that our number is protected. It will help with this PESEL number restriction – how to do it? This function has been available since November 2023 and we can use it, e.g. in the application mObywatel. We log in to the application and select the Services option from the bottom menu. There we will find, among others: Penalty Points, Fines, Prescriptions and the Reserve PESEL button that interests us.
After entering this option, just press one button to reserve your PESEL number. And that’s it – from now on it is protected, and fraudsters will not be able to take out a loan or perform any activities with this number without our knowledge. However, the same also applies to us – check what cannot be done with a reserved PESEL number.
How cybercriminals can gain possession of our PESEL number? As in the case of other personal data, here too it is enough to use a clever mechanism, often related to impersonating, e.g. a financial or government institution. To obtain our PESEL number, cybercriminals do not even need specialized technical knowledge – social engineering is often the main element of fraud.
An example of such a fraud, the purpose of which is to obtain personal data, may be: this situation. By impersonating the Tax Office, fraudsters try to persuade us to use a specially prepared website and log in. It looks like a government website, but in fact it is the work of fraudsters. An unaware user logs in by providing e.g. online banking details. This, in turn, opens the door for fraudsters to access your financial resources and personal data.
Another example of PESEL fraud may be impersonating a bank employee who performs “verification” during a telephone conversation, and one of the required data is the mentioned number. In addition, our PESEL number should also be protected in everyday situations – even in a pharmacy.
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Source: geekweek.interia.pl
