identity theft
Identity theft is somebody using your personal details to impersonate you, usually to take money or borrow in your name.
In plain English
Identity theft does not feel like theft while it is happening, because nothing is missing. Somebody simply becomes you somewhere else.
They use your BVN, your date of birth, your address, your account details. They open accounts. They take loans. They pass verification questions using answers you posted publicly years ago. And you learn about it weeks later, when a lender contacts you about a debt you never took, or your card stops working.
The information they need is far more available than most people realise. Your mother's maiden name is on Facebook. Your date of birth is in your birthday posts. Your address is on a delivery photograph. None of it felt sensitive individually.
Protecting yourself is unglamorous and it works. Do not share your BVN with anybody who has not properly identified themselves. Do not answer security questions with truthful, findable answers. Use different passwords for banking than for anything else. Check your credit report once a year, because a loan taken in your name will appear there long before anybody tells you.
And if it happens, move immediately. The first twenty four hours matter more than everything afterwards.
Somebody uses your details to take a loan in your name. You know nothing until a bureau record shows a default and your own loan application is refused. Clearing your name takes months, and you did nothing wrong at any point.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my identity has been stolen?
Unexpected loans on your credit report, accounts you did not open, or messages about transactions you did not make. Checking your credit report yearly is how most people find out in time.
What should I do immediately?
Contact your bank, freeze what you can, report to the police and the EFCC, and change every password. Speed matters enormously in the first day.
Is my BVN dangerous to share?
It cannot move money by itself, but it helps somebody impersonate you convincingly. Share it only where it is genuinely required.
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