You can now register your PESEL number. This is a great idea, but this step won’t work right away

. Thanks to this, you can protect yourself against the effects of identity theft and block the possibility of, for example, taking out a loan in your name by a stranger. PESEL will be able to be registered voluntarily by every adult citizen (also stationary – e.g. at the commune office or post office).

PESEL registered, but still not secured. This won’t work right away

However, it will not be the case that from November 17, all reserved PESEL numbers will suddenly become fully secure. As experts note, the new option will not initially affect our security, and in the future it will not completely eliminate threats. The register of restricted numbers is starting to operate now, but for some time – as part of the first stage of system implementation – banks and loan companies will not be able to check whether a given PESEL number is on the list.

The register starts operating on November 17, but banks, loan companies, telecommunications operators and notaries will be obliged to check whether their client’s PESEL is not restricted only from June 1, 2024. Now not only do they not have to do this, but they do not even have the technical possibility to do so. The integration of IT systems is only just beginning

– said Bartłomiej Drozd from ChronPESEL.pl.

Secondly – as Drozd emphasizes – it is not the case that after June 1, 2024, PESEL will be checked in the register at every possible opportunity. The bill says the registry will only operate in a few well-defined cases to prevent “certain consequences of identity theft.” Banks and loan companies, telecommunications operators (e.g. if they want to issue a SIM duplicate) and notaries will certainly be obliged to verify.

Bartłomiej Drozd warns that there are still many situations in which criminals will be able to use a stolen identity, even despite the PESEL number being reserved. This includes: o all situations in which goods are released but payment is to be made later. This includes, among others: o apartment rental agreements or car rentals (in the event of any damage, the rental company may pursue the PESEL holder, not the fraudster) and, among others, extorting goods on an invoice with a deferred payment date – says the website ChronPESEL.pl.

The most perverse example where, despite registering your PESEL number, you can fall victim to fraud, are bank loans, one of the most common financial services used by consumers. Criminals do not have to use the stolen PESEL number to extort a loan from the consumer, as they can expect that the bank will check it in the register of objections. Instead, they can set up a company using this PESEL number and then submit a loan application for it. The bank will then verify the NIP number, not the PESEL number, and will probably grant the loan

comments Bartłomiej Drozd.

It will be possible to withdraw the PESEL number reservation

It is worth remembering that blocking your PESEL number may cause some problems in the future. We will have to remember, e.g. before taking out a loan or a loan, to unblock the number well in advance. The holder of a restricted PESEL number may also have problems with withdrawing larger amounts of money from the bank if he does not withdraw the restriction on time.