Around 4.5 million people in Poland have decided to block their personal identification number (PESEL) in order to prevent fraudsters from taking out loans or signing unwanted contracts in their name, reported the country’s Digital Ministry.
All long-term residents of Poland, as well as temporary residents who have registered their stay, are required to have a PESEL number. Those born in Poland are assigned a number at birth.
Blocking one’s PESEL has been possible since November 2023.
As of June 1, all financial institutions and notaries are obliged to check the status of the PESEL number before they grant a loan, open a current account, sell equipment with an installment loan, and withdraw a larger amount of money at a bank branch – larger than three times the minimum wage, which on July 1, was PLN 12,900 (EUR 3,009) – among others.
“Blocking your PESEL number is the simplest way to reduce the risk that criminals will use your data to defraud you of a loan or mortgage. I encourage everyone to do so,” said Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.
A PESEL can be blocked on the mObywatel mobile app, on the government website gov.pl, and in government offices. (source: Notesfrompoland.com)
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