Reservation of the PESEL number with a “tick”. The Ministry of Digital Affairs explains

For several weeks now, the government has been encouraging Poles to block their PESEL numbers. The Ministry of Digital Affairs reminded on Thursday to withdraw the blocking when we want to take care of something. However, there is a catch: blocking again is not automatic.

Reserved PESEL number. Ministry of Digital Affairs explains

“The PESEL number blocking can be withdrawn at any time. However, to block it again, you sometimes have to wait from 30 minutes to 12 hours” – . The Ministry of Digitization describes the story of a couple who decided to block their PESEL numbers, but had to withdraw the blocking in order to buy a TV set in installments and withdraw a large sum of money from the bank.

Why do you have to wait 30 minutes to be able to block your PESEL number again? “This break is necessary for the system to work efficiently and to prevent abuse. Imagine that every institution had to update data every now and then. This could lead to errors that would threaten the security of our data,” the ministry explains.

In another case, someone could share their Trusted Profile data with another person while arranging a loan. The second person could then quickly block the PESEL, mislead the lender and thus try to avoid repaying the loan. Thanks to this break, institutions have time to properly update the status, counteract possible abuses and our data is safe

– we read.

In the case of cash withdrawals, the waiting time for the PESEL number to be blocked again can last up to 12 hours. “This protection against fraud using the ‘grandchild’ or ‘policeman’ method is crucial. Imagine that someone tries to withdraw our money by impersonating us, or someone close to us is manipulated and tries to withdraw large amounts of money from their account and transfer them to fraudsters who impersonate a family member or a policeman,” describes the Ministry of Digitization.

The twelve-hour break gives the bank time to thoroughly check the transaction and gives us time to confirm that the decision is well-considered. This way, our money is safe and we have time to make sure that everything is in order

– emphasized in the press release.

PESEL number restriction status. There are two options available

The Ministry of Digital Affairs added that the breaks in changing the PESEL status help maintain the security of our data and prevent abuse. “Thanks to them, we are sure that each change is well thought out and that our data is protected. In this way, we create a safe, modern and user-friendly system that makes life easier for citizens. We are working to make Poland a country where digital services are simple, safe and accessible to everyone,” we read.

Thanks to the “Reserve PESEL” service in the mObywatel application, you can decide on its status. There are two options:

• withdraw the restriction indefinitely – this option means that the PESEL number will no longer be protected until it is restricted again;
• temporarily unblock – in this option, the application will ask you to set the day and time when the PESEL should be automatically blocked. Thanks to this, you do not have to remember to turn the protection back on.