Here’s what to do if you lose any of your identification documents

Whether due to personal carelessness or being the victim of theft, the loss of identification documents occurs with some frequency in all parts of the world, but there are a series of mechanisms that make it possible to recover them or request their issuance again. to significantly reduce the risk of scams and identity theft. What should you do in this situation?

According to security and banking reports, The most stolen documents in Colombia are identity cards, driving licenses and bank cardsso it is crucial to report your loss in time to prevent them from being used fraudulently by third parties.

Festive or high-traffic seasons (such as vacation periods) are times when cases of loss or theft tend to increase.

If you are a victim of document theft, identity theft or scam: the authorities recommend that you go to the nearest headquarters of the Attorney General’s Office or the complaint reception rooms of the National Police to notify the situation.

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In the case of credit or debit cards: You must immediately contact your financial institution to request that it be blocked in order to avoid possible transactions.

You must also notify the situation to financial institutions in which you have credits, mortgages or other debts to avoid possible fraud or identity theft.

Another recommendation is to stay alert to any suspicious activity in your bank accounts or credit history and regularly verify movements.

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Is it mandatory to file a complaint?

It is neither mandatory nor necessary to report the loss of identification documents to the Colombian National Police.

– In case of losing your identity document, you can go to a headquarters of the Registry to request the copy without needing proof of loss.

– For the passport, you must complete a procedure at the Passport Offices arranged by the Chancellery. You can visit the entity’s website for more information: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co.

– For the military card, you must go to the military district located in your municipality and request a duplicate. You can also start the process by entering the website of the Colombian National Army: https://www.ejercito.mil.co.

– In the case of the driving license, you must complete a simple procedure with the traffic agency in your city.

It is important to keep backup copies of your documents in a safe placeas well as having updated contact information in the entities issuing the documents to facilitate recovery in case of loss or theft.