What it is
Identity theft is when a criminal uses your personal details — your name, ID number, phone number or financial information — to impersonate you. They may take loans, open mobile-money or bank accounts, claim services, or commit crimes in your name. The details often come from phishing, a data breach, a lost document or an oversharing social-media profile.
Warning signs
Statements, loan messages or bills for accounts or credit you did not open.
Being denied credit unexpectedly, or listed by a credit reference bureau for a debt that is not yours.
Letters, calls or messages about transactions or services you never requested.
How to protect yourself
Share identity documents only when genuinely necessary, and be cautious about what you post publicly. Protect the accounts that hold your money and identity with multi-factor authentication, secure your main email and mobile number, and shred documents with personal details before discarding them. Limiting what you expose is covered in protecting your privacy.
If your identity is misused
Contact the affected bank, lender or provider to dispute and freeze fraudulent accounts, and keep case references.
Report the matter to the police and obtain a report, which lenders and bureaus may require.
Secure your email, mobile number and key accounts, and report through our reporting guidance. Do not pay anyone promising to "clear your name" for a fee.
Useful references
Here to help
Something doesn’t look right?
Prepare an incident report with the details that matter.