🇪🇪 Estonia | Banks warn of new Smart-ID fraud: criminals push users to create a “parallel” ID

🇪🇪 Estonia | Banks warn of new Smart-ID fraud: criminals push users to create a “parallel” ID

Estonian banks and the Banking Association report a surge in scams where callers posing as officials (utility firms, health fund, police) pressure people to “update” or “reissue” Smart-ID. LHV’s retail head Violeta Platonova says the scheme aims to register an additional Smart-ID and capture PIN2, enabling crooks to sign contracts, take loans and access internet banking as the victim.

Banks note Smart-ID accounts can exist on multiple devices; users should delete unused records and never share PINs over the phone. Institutions are tightening instant-payment checks (verifying account name vs IBAN) and the Association relaunched its “A scammer has many faces” awareness campaign.

Context — why this matters & what to do

Smart-ID underpins everyday digital life in Estonia (banking, e-services, even e-voting). A “parallel” profile effectively steals your legal signature; transactions signed with PIN2 are hard to dispute. Practical hygiene: hang up, call the institution back on an official number, review active Smart-ID devices, and recreate your profile yourself via e-ID if in doubt. PPA is also rolling out new-chip ID cards mid-November, but user behavior remains the first line of defense.