Identity usurpation does not only concern others. And to realize it, there is a simple, reliable method, validated by state services. It is still necessary to know it.
Each year, thousands of people discover that a credit has been subscribed on their behalf or that an unknown account is associated with them. In some cases, it starts with a simple payment of payment, a cover letter or a bank alert. But in others, fraud goes unnoticed for months. Identity usurpation can have heavy consequences: filing at the Banque de France, unable to contract a loan, wage -seized … and in 7 out of 10 cases, according to figures from the National Delinquency Observatory, the victims are unaware for a long time that their identity has been fraudulently used.
However, there is a simple and easy way to lift doubt. Thanks to an official tool, free and accessible to everyone, it is possible to check whether one or more accounts have been opened in its name. This service, too little known, lists all the bank accounts open in France, whether current accounts, booklets, joint accounts or professional accounts. A simple request for access to your data makes it possible to see immediately if an unknown account is attached to its identity. And thus, to react in time. For example, in the event of a fraudulently open consumption loan, the victim can block the procedures, file a complaint and request the erasure of the filing.
The request for access to the FICOBA, for national file of bank and similar accounts, is made directly via your particular space on the impots.gouv.fr site. For example, to make a request for your own account or for a minor child of which you are the legal representative, you just have to go to the “Other services” section of your particular space, located on the right, then select the module “request made for his own account “.
A response is generally transmitted within 30 days, mentioning all the bank accounts associated with the person. This official document can then be used to take steps in the event of proven fraud. Be careful however, the file does not mention the balances or the movements of the accounts: it only makes it possible to identify the accounts open to its name.
To limit the risks of identity theft, some simple reflexes can make the difference. Never throw personal documents in the trash without destroying them, do not transmit your banking or civil status information by e-mail or telephone, and regularly monitor your banking history. If in doubt, it is also possible to put an alert on your data via specialized services or to do an online pre-plain. Because in the majority of cases, the faster the reaction, the greater the chances of stopping fraud.
