Spot a fake request for your ID
Signs it may be fake
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describes how scams usually look. Match them against your request:
- They contacted you first. The FTC says to keep personal details private when the request was unexpected, and that legitimate organizations won't contact you out of the blue to ask for things like a Social Security or bank account number.
- A problem or a prize. Your account is "locked", you "won" something, or you owe money.
- Pressure. You must act now, or you'll lose the apartment, the job or the account. The FTC says honest businesses give you time to decide.
- Odd payment methods. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or payment apps.
- Too early. For a rental, the FTC lists a request for your Social Security number or a photo of your driver's license before you've agreed to rent as a warning sign.
- A link in the message, to "verify your identity". The FTC says to contact a company using a phone number or website you know is real, not the details in the message.
Sender names can be faked, so a message that looks like it's from your bank or a delivery company proves nothing on its own.
Examples
- "Buyer" on a marketplace says they need a photo of your ID "to confirm you're real" before they pay.
- A text says a parcel is held and you must upload your passport on a page the message links to.
- A "recruiter" offers a job and wants your ID and bank details before an interview.
- A "landlord" asks for a selfie holding your ID. This is our advice: that picture shows your face and your ID together, which makes it extra valuable to a scammer.
What to do
- Pause. Nothing real disappears in ten minutes.
- Don't use the link or number they gave you. Find the organization yourself, on its official website or app, and ask whether the request is genuine.
- Ask why, and what the smallest thing is that would do. For a real need, they'll usually have an answer and a safer way, like showing it in person or using their own portal.
- Talk to someone you trust. The FTC says an outside view can reveal a scam.
- If it's real and you must send it, send a covered copy. Here's how, and one for landlords.
If you already sent it
- Stop replying, and keep the messages.
- Change passwords and turn on two-factor authentication for important accounts.
- If a card or bank account number went too, call your bank on a number you know.
- In the US, the FTC points people to IdentityTheft.gov for steps based on what was exposed, and to ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report it. Elsewhere, contact your own country's fraud or police service, and ask which ID offices should be told.
You can't take a picture back from someone else's phone. That's why the pause before sending matters most.
How FirstHour helps
If you do decide to send a picture of an ID, Share covers recognized numbers, names and signatures with solid boxes and sends a copy without the location or camera details. Protect finds pictures of IDs and passports already in your Photos, so you know what you're holding. Nothing is uploaded.
FirstHour can't tell you whether a request is genuine, can't block a message or a scam, and can't remove a picture from a chat you've already sent it to. It only looks at pictures on your iPhone, and it can miss things.
Questions
A real bank sometimes asks for ID. How do I tell?
You start the contact. Open the bank's own app or call the number on your card, then ask. Be wary of a bank that finds you first.
Is a covered copy still dangerous?
Much less, if it's done well. It's the full ID that does the most harm in the wrong hands.
Sources
- How To Avoid a Scam, Federal Trade Commission
- How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams, Federal Trade Commission
- Rental Listing Scams, Federal Trade Commission
- What to know about identity theft, Federal Trade Commission