Comparitech notes that passports are usually scanned during the traveler’s check when crossing the border, when checking into a hotel, as well as during the employment process or when applying for study abroad. These scans are then stored on computers that can be hacked and accessed by unscrupulous employees. “It’s easy to imagine how a receptionist in a cheap hostel posts scans of his clients on the darknet for pocket money,” the study notes.
To protect against such fraud
Comparitech recommends that users scan their passport themselves before traveling, so that they do not have to give it to someone else for scanning, and the scans should be done in black and white. During the trip, the passport does not need to be left in the luggage and in the hotel room when the user himself is not in the room.
In addition, you should not post photos of documents on social networks and store them on devices that can be hacked — it is better to use a USB flash drive or a cloud for this. It is also better not to store the passport scan in the same place with the scans of other identity documents. You can’t just throw away old passports either — they should be destroyed.