How to Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Loans

Scammers are inventing increasingly sophisticated ways to deceive people. They may pose as bank employees, employers, or offer to extend your health insurance policy or mobile contract. Trusting individuals provide the requested information and later discover that a loan has been taken out in their name. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid falling victim to fraudsters.

Keep Track of Your Documents

Do not leave your passport with strangers or people you barely know. Sometimes it is requested as collateral for rentals. Find alternatives: leave a driver’s license or another document, or just provide passport details without handing over the actual passport.

If your passport is lost, report it to the police immediately. They will mark it as invalid. When banks process loan applications, they check passport data. If it is listed as lost or stolen, the loan will be denied. Don’t delay reporting to prevent scammers from taking advantage.

Do not send passport photos via messengers or email. If you must, delete the images from both your device and the recipient’s after sending. This prevents fraudsters from gaining access to your personal data.

Avoid taking photos of yourself holding your passport for private use. If a scammer obtains such an image, they could impersonate you and take out a loan in your name.

Important:
Keep track of your documents, do not leave them as collateral, do not send photos, and do not allow copies without a valid reason. For example, banks and schools may request copies for official purposes—this is safe and necessary.

Do Not Share Passport Details Over the Phone

Scammers may call pretending to be bank specialists, police officers, mobile operators, or other organizations. They often request:

• Passport data

• Bank card details: number, expiration date, CVV

• Bank account details

• SMS codes

Legitimate representatives do not ask for such information—all required data is already in their records. If they need additional information, they will contact you through official channels or invite you to an office.

To pressure victims, scammers often use fear and urgency, claiming that your card must be immediately blocked or funds transferred to avoid theft.

Important:
Hang up and contact the organization yourself using an official number.

Do Not Enter Passport Data on Unfamiliar Websites

Some websites may request passport information. Legitimate cases include airlines, banks, or insurance companies. If a site asks for this without a valid reason, leave it. Check the website address: it should start with https, not http, indicating that your data is protected.

The same applies to bank card information—never enter details unless you are sure the site is secure.