From 7023a1dac81d6a98a816ad48e20e1519a551d848 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ahmed Abdelhalim Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:18:43 +0100 Subject: Second draft identity theft --- content/blog/identity-theft-germany.md | 21 +++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) (limited to 'content') diff --git a/content/blog/identity-theft-germany.md b/content/blog/identity-theft-germany.md index b1de048..0f412c3 100644 --- a/content/blog/identity-theft-germany.md +++ b/content/blog/identity-theft-germany.md @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ the real estate agent, or the "Vermieter:innen" who sometimes just want to colle or scam you (with overpriced "fitted" kitchen). Pass that hurdle, and enjoy having to submit all your personal information to someone you barely trust, -and in most cases, just an employee who don't care that much about ensuring safe handling of this documents +and in most cases, just an employee who doesn't care that much about ensuring safe handling of these documents (which are sometimes asked physically), before making a cup of tea and enjoying a cozy evening reading German rental contracts with details about "charging you for the use of their electronic door system" and the need to "paint the outside of doors and windows that open to the inside", the dream!!! @@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ and the need to "paint the outside of doors and windows that open to the inside" There is even a video game about [Berlin flat quest][1] that is almost as fun as the real thing! Long story short, you made a mistake at some point and sent one or more un-redacted documents to someone -who had a fake ad., or to someone who later offered you an outrageous contract clauses +who had a fake ad., or to someone who later offered outrageous contract clauses (like paying the caution in cash to their bank account[^2]). Now your ID or a bank slip is in the wrong hands, both of which have information about your address, birth-date, and name, this is what happened to me, or at least how I think my identity was stolen. -These information can be used for a multitude of actions, including but not limited to: +This information can be used for a multitude of actions, including but not limited to: - Get pre-paid phone number. - Get a loan! @@ -50,14 +50,16 @@ to apply for an e-SIM that they might need to confirm or ask support about? I'm quite confident that my email hasn't been compromised, partially thanks to having MFA enabled on it, and reviewing my logins and active sessions. -Few days later, I received a `POSTIDENT` request from a bank, asking to do this identification in order to +A few days later, I received a `POSTIDENT` request from a bank, asking to do this identification in order to continue processing my credit request. +So, yes, my identity was stolen, and someone or something was actively using my data to take a loan in my name. + # What do I do next? -Here is the list of the things, I have done so far: +Here is the list of things I have done so far: -- [ ] Don't scan or click any `POSTIDENT`/`WEB ID` requests. +- [ ] Don't scan (QR Codes) or click any `POSTIDENT`/`WEB ID` links. - [ ] File a police report about suspected internet fraudulent activity on one of the following: - Berlin police portal: https://www.internetwache-polizei-berlin.de - Germany police portal (redirects to local portal): https://portal.onlinewache.polizei.de/de/ @@ -69,8 +71,11 @@ Here is the list of the things, I have done so far: - [ ] ["Register identity fraud"][5] on the SCHUFA platform (can do it over email). - Update the police report with any information that you get over time. +Hopefully this saves someone the panic of figuring this out on their own.
+Stay safe!✌️ + --- -[^1]: There is much safer path, which is applying to the state-owned companies, +[^1]: There is a much safer path, which is applying to the state-owned companies, but this takes significantly longer to process. [^2]: That's illegal, don't do that, the caution needs to be put in at least a joint bank account, and @@ -82,7 +87,7 @@ and will update the police incident report (which I provided them with a referen all of this while using my basic level German skills. [^4]: Some online banks like "DKB" don't provide you with any way to talk to them -directly, but rather provide a "AI Assistant" that only speaks German, and can +directly, but rather provide an "AI Assistant" that only speaks German, and can "assist" you with your requests (and redirect you to pages that are not linked on the banking app/website), because, if I'm in stress about losing my life-savings, or someone is taking a loan in my name, _the first thing I think about is how helpful would it be if I can talk to an AI Chat Bot right now!!!_ -- cgit v1.2.3