Help in case of data theft: SCHUFA offers free service to protect against identity fraud

Wiesbaden, September 28, 2023 - SCHUFA is expanding its offerings to protect against identity fraud with a free solution: With SCHUFA's new service, consumers can find out in seconds whether they have fallen victim to data theft: The SCHUFA IdentChecker searches for personal data from sources on the Internet, Darknet and Deep Web. Consumers can therefore find out whether sensitive personal data such as IBAN, ID or credit card numbers have been circulated without authorization and receive concrete recommendations for action.

 

Identity fraud can be a very stressful experience

 

“The increasing digitalization of our living environments supports consumers in their daily lives, but also poses numerous risks of data theft and misuse. Identity fraud can be a very stressful experience. For the first time, SCHUFA is now offering consumers free help so that they can detect identity theft at an early stage - if possible before the data is misused. With the SCHUFA IdentChecker, we are continuing our path to supporting consumers with useful services in their everyday lives,” says Tanja Birkholz, CEO of SCHUFA Holding AG.

 

Unique in Germany: SCHUFA-IdentChecker can search for seven data categories

 

The SCHUFA IdentChecker offers seven search categories: Consumers can enter IBAN, credit card numbers, email address, mobile phone number and the numbers of their ID card, passport and driving license into the new digital service. Registration is not required and the data entered will neither be saved nor passed on. The result of the check can be seen directly in the same place within seconds and the search can be carried out as often as required.

 

Three out of four internet users affected by cybercrime

 

According to Bitkom, the association of the German information and telecommunications industry, last year three out of four Internet users (75 percent) were affected by cybercrime in 2022, including through fraud in e-commerce, unauthorized disclosure of personal data, or misuse of their own Account details. But so far there are hardly any ways to detect identity theft early, before personal damage has occurred. The free SCHUFA IdentChecker is now available for this purpose.

 

The service is offered in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH, an independent company under the umbrella of Deutsche Telekom AG. With around 1,700 specialists and more than 25 years of experience, the company is one of the leading cyber security companies in Europe and is the market leader in the DACH region.

 

Fraud prevention to protect companies and private individuals

 

With the SCHUFA IdentChecker, SCHUFA is expanding its fraud prevention offering for companies and private individuals. For example, SCHUFA carries out an average of around 120,000 identity checks per day. In this way, SCHUFA supports companies in detecting any attempts at fraud using false or third-party identity data.

 

For consumers, SCHUFA offers the IdentSafe and the UpdateService to prevent fraud in its paid meineSCHUFA plus and premium packages:

• With the SCHUFA-IdentSafe, the search queries described in the SCHUFA-IdentChecker are automated. This means that the relevant data is stored once in the SCHUFA customer account and the search for unauthorized publications takes place permanently. If a hit is made, the customer is automatically informed by email or SMS and can therefore act quickly.
• The UpdateService informs people at any time about changes to their SCHUFA information and notifies them immediately if a SCHUFA contract partner company requests information about the person or if personal data has been changed. If one's own identity is used without authorization, people will not find out about it until they receive corresponding invoices or even reminders.

In addition, SCHUFA offers a free service for people who have already fallen victim to identity abuse. By reporting identity fraud to SCHUFA, you can protect yourself from further data misuse. If fraudsters use stolen identity data for further business transactions, SCHUFA's business partners are already warned. In this way, consumers can reduce the risk that their personal data will be used for further fraud attempts.

 

Click here for the free SCHUFA IdentChecker: https://www.schufa.de/identchecker/

 

 

Source: Schufa Press Release