What to do if you are a victim of identity theft in Denmark
Police are currently investigating a burglary at the city hall in the town of Haderslev, where 134 passports were stolen.
The break-in, which happened during the weekend, resulted in the theft of 134 passports, all of which included photographs and personal information. South Jutland Police confirmed the crime in a statement.
The break-in was reported at 8am on Monday, but the exact time of the burglary is unclear and investigation is ongoing.
Most stolen passports are used for illegal entry and exit across borders, according to police.
But South Jutland Police said there is also a risk that personal information from the stolen passports could be misused.
Such misuse can encompass collection and modification of personal information, prescription of medication over the telephone, identity theft and using credit to purchase goods or services.
Members of the public who suspect abuse of their personal information are advised to contact police immediately, and should also contact their bank and credit providers.
Additionally, the borger.dk citizens’ services website can be used to advise money lenders that your identity might have been stolen.
That is done by attaching a ‘kreditadvarsel’ (credit warning) to your personal registration (CPR) number, signalling to companies that they should be extra careful with credit checks before approving loans in your name.
READ ALSO: Is life in Denmark impossible without a personal registration number?
You can remove the notification once it is no longer relevant.
It should be noted that it is optional for companies to choose whether to be notified of the warning via your CPR number. However, companies that provide loans or credit suffer losses related to identity abuse, so it is likely to be in their interests to receive the notifications.
Many companies also need to adapt their own IT systems in order to access the information, but this is expected to become less of an obstacle as companies update their systems, according to the borger.dk website.
You can also speak to your Danish insurance company about how you may be covered in the event of identity theft.
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The break-in, which happened during the weekend, resulted in the theft of 134 passports, all of which included photographs and personal information. South Jutland Police confirmed the crime in a statement.
The break-in was reported at 8am on Monday, but the exact time of the burglary is unclear and investigation is ongoing.
Most stolen passports are used for illegal entry and exit across borders, according to police.
But South Jutland Police said there is also a risk that personal information from the stolen passports could be misused.
Such misuse can encompass collection and modification of personal information, prescription of medication over the telephone, identity theft and using credit to purchase goods or services.
Members of the public who suspect abuse of their personal information are advised to contact police immediately, and should also contact their bank and credit providers.
Additionally, the borger.dk citizens’ services website can be used to advise money lenders that your identity might have been stolen.
That is done by attaching a ‘kreditadvarsel’ (credit warning) to your personal registration (CPR) number, signalling to companies that they should be extra careful with credit checks before approving loans in your name.
READ ALSO: Is life in Denmark impossible without a personal registration number?
You can remove the notification once it is no longer relevant.
It should be noted that it is optional for companies to choose whether to be notified of the warning via your CPR number. However, companies that provide loans or credit suffer losses related to identity abuse, so it is likely to be in their interests to receive the notifications.
Many companies also need to adapt their own IT systems in order to access the information, but this is expected to become less of an obstacle as companies update their systems, according to the borger.dk website.
You can also speak to your Danish insurance company about how you may be covered in the event of identity theft.
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