A copy of a DNI can make it easier for a criminal to impersonate your identity. For this reason, state security forces such as the Civil Guard or the National Police warn us of the risk involved. However, there are certain moments in which we will need to deliver a copy, to sign the rental of the apartment, buy a vehicle, etc.
For this reason, it is important to know which is the safest way to share your ID with other people, so that, above all, you can minimize the risk that they can impersonate your identity or use it for certain unlawful reasons, such as contracting services in our name, getting a duplicate of our SIM card, among other dangers.
How to securely share ID
Before sending it, make sure that it is necessary for that person to have it. Otherwise, do not send your identity card at any time. After this, if you have no choice but to send it to another person, you must have a digitized copy to which we will make a series of modifications with an image editor, either by scanning the ID or by taking a quality photo.
Now that we have it in our possession, we will need any image editor, be it an app for Android or iOS, or from a computer. Mobile phones even come with a default photo editor that we can use. The important thing is the retouching that we will carry out on the copy of the DNI that we are going to share:
- One of the first changes that we must make will be to put the copy of the DNI in black and white.
- Place a watermark: we can include a text that indicates that the use of the photocopy of our card is only authorized for that particular use, to determine that it cannot be used for another purpose.
- We can also blur, delete or place a black band on relevant data such as: date of issue, validity and equipment.
- If the signature doesn’t need to appear, we can hide it so they can’t forge it.
- The photo of the DNI: in some cases we can add a black band in the eyes.
In any case, the ideal at all times is that we share the DNI as little as possible. Also, these small changes are more than enough to make sure that nobody can use it for other purposes, like the ones we mentioned at the beginning. And, another important detail, is that the ID copies with these adjustments will not be invalid, since even the state security forces themselves recommend this series of advice.
Also, keep in mind that, since 2006, by law, no Public Administration can demand a photocopy of the DNI to carry out any type of specific procedure. This can only be requested when there is no other way to verify the identity of a person and, above all, whenever it is given for an official reason. Otherwise, we will have to be wary if they do so. In any case, these tricks are a surefire way to avoid scams and fraud.
