What should I do if my birth number is misused and how can I protect myself?

What is a birth number and why is it so sensitive

A birth number is a personal identifier that hides more than meets the eye. It consists of your date of birth, distinguishes your gender and is unique to each person. It is used to communicate with government institutions, insurance companies, employers or banks. That is why it is considered personal data under the Data Processing Act and under the GDPR and should be treated with extra care.

Misuse of a birth number is therefore not only a moral issue, it can also have legal consequences. Anyone who handles it must have a legal basis for processing it (for example, a legal obligation, legitimate interest or consent). If someone asks you to provide your birth number, you have the right to ask what the legal basis is for needing it and how it will be handled.

When disclosure of a birth number is lawful:

• when dealing with the authorities (e.g. registry office, insurance office, tax office),
• when concluding an employment contract,
• in the context of health records,
• when arranging credit or insurance.

On the other hand, a regular e-shop, hotel or competition form usually does not need your birth number and may not ask for it without a corresponding legal basis.

How a birth number can be misused

Misuse of a birth number is often linked to identity theft. Perpetrators combine your birth number with other data (e.g. name, address or ID number) to create a convincing image of “you”. In this way, they can negotiate a loan or lease in your name, set up a fake account with a service provider (telephone, energy), use your data to access portals (e.g. data box, ePortal of the Social Security Agency), use it in fraudulent registrations or competitions to obtain benefits, or sell your data on the black market with personal data.

Nowadays, fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated methods to extort personal data from people. A birth number is particularly valuable to them because it serves as a unique identifier for each citizen and, when combined with other data (e.g. name, address or ID number), can open the door to a range of scams.

One of the most common ways fraudsters try to obtain birth numbers is through phishing.
The user receives an email that pretends to be a message from a bank, the Czech Post, a government office, or even an ePortal of public administration. It asks for “verification of personal data” or “completion of information to update account”. Clicking on the link opens a fake page that mimics the official portal and asks for a name, date of birth, birth number and often an ID number.

These emails are often written in written Czech, have institutional logos and can appear very credible. However, once you enter your details, they go straight to the fraudsters, who can then use them to register on financial portals or arrange loans.

Fake competitions or calls for ‘state subsidies’ or ‘energy allowances’ are increasingly appearing on social media . The website or post looks official, features ministry logos and promises easy registration in minutes. However, when the user clicks on the form, they enter not only their name and email, but often also their personal identification number, account number and address – all under the guise of ‘identity verification’. The data then ends up in the hands of fraudsters who may contact the victim with fake offers, try to access their banking or combine data to create a fake identity.

The misuse of your birth number can also occur indirectly, i.e. without your active involvement. It is increasingly common for attackers to hack into company or government databases and extract the personal data of thousands of people – including birth numbers. Such leaks can be very dangerous because the fraudsters have complete data: name, address, date of birth and birth number. This information can then be sold on the dark web, where other people buy it for their own scams.

Under the GDPR, the company is obliged to inform the Data Protection Authority and, in certain cases, the individuals concerned about such leaks. If you discover that your personal identification number has been leaked, you have the right to claim damages and can seek financial compensation for the data breach.

How to know if someone has misused your birth number

Misuse of a birth number is often subtle, but there are signs that should alert you:

• You’re getting calls to pay debts you don’t know about.
• Debts appear in the debtors’ register under your name that you never created.
• Your application for a loan or mortgage is rejected because of “outstanding debts”.
• You receive notices of changes to your insurance or health plan that you did not make.

In this case, act quickly. Time is of the essence because the sooner you start to address the situation, the less damage will be done.

What to do if someone misuses your birth number

Don’t panic and follow a systematic approach. First and foremost , secure your data, change passwords for any accounts that may be compromised. Alert your bank, service provider and health insurance company. Report fraud immediately. File a criminal complaint with the police or prosecutor’s office. We’ll be happy to help. You need to include all evidence – emails, letters, contracts. The police can request information from institutions and find out who misused the data.

At the same time, contact the relevant institutions. If someone has entered into a contract on your behalf, ask for it to be invalidated and prove that you did not sign it. If someone has entered into a contract on your behalf, this is a legal act that you have not done and therefore does not bind you. You can ask for a declaration that the legal act did not take place or defend yourself by arguing that there is no obligation under the Civil Code.

Is there any protection against misuse of a birth number?

The basis for protecting your birth number is, above all, caution and awareness. You should only disclose this information if it is actually required by law or if it is necessary to fulfil a specific obligation. In normal situations (for example, when registering on an e-shop or in a competition) there is no reason to provide your birth number. It should certainly not appear freely available on the internet, for example in scanned contracts or invoices that someone accidentally publishes.

If someone asks for your birth number, always ask them for what legal reason they need it and how they will use it. Caution is also advisable when communicating via email or the internet. Check carefully the sender of messages and the web addresses you click on – fraudulent links are often disguised to mimic official institutions. Therefore, never click on unknown links and do not enter personal data on sites that are not trusted or do not have a secure connection (https).

When communicating with authorities or institutions , use reliable and secure channels, such as a data box. This will minimise the risk of data leakage. It is also advisable to regularly check statements from debtor registers such as SOLUS, NRKI or BRKI to see if someone has entered into a contract in your name.

Think about physical documents too. When disposing of them, make sure that the birth number does not fall into unauthorised hands. Always shred papers containing sensitive data. And never post copies or photos of your documents, such as your ID card, on social media or in emails. Even a single picture can be enough for a fraudster to misuse your ID number.

Summary

Your birth number is one of the most sensitive pieces of personal information, and carelessly disclosing it can lead to identity theft, fraudulent loans or unauthorized invasions of your privacy. You can only be asked for your birth number by entities that have a legal basis to do so – for example, public authorities, employers fulfilling legal obligations, health insurance companies or banks fulfilling contractual and legal requirements. Misuse of your birth number is most often through phishing, fake competitions or leaks from company databases, where fraudsters combine it with other data to create a fake identity. If you discover that your personal identification number has been misused, you need to act immediately – secure your accounts, inform your bank and insurance company, file a criminal complaint and contact the relevant institutions to invalidate any contracts entered into in your name. The key to protection is to be careful – do not enter your nationality number on untrustworthy websites, protect your documents from misuse, check who is requesting your details and regularly monitor debtor registers. If you are in doubt or need legal advice, you can contact a lawyer who can help you with the legal process and possible compensation.