I was reserving a guided tour of David in Florence. And the tour operator asked me to forward her photocopies of our passports I order to secure tickets to the Museum? We will be in Florence this June 2019 and I was curious if It was risky to forward passport photocopies? And how common of a practice is the request? Are there alternatives?
Thank You,
Ran
No, not risky at all. Normal practice.
Passport info (name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, expiry date) is information you have to give out to lots of commercial organisations (airlines, hotels) to prove your identity.
They are probably asking for ID card or passport (standard ID requirements), but as you are not an EU national, your ID card (if you have one) is not valid, so it must be your passport.
Alternatives: Just list passport details: name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, place of birth, expiry date
That, plus your gender and photo, is all there is on a passport.
Using a state-issued driver's license as a universal ID card is something unique to the US.
Stan, I've always wondered how do people that don't drive do ? Don't they have ID?
The state governments can also issue a "non-drivers license" which provides an ID. If you're young enough, then school-issued student ID cards will work for many situations. But since public transportation is terrible in most cities besides a few, almost every adult has to have a drivers license to survive. In my city (metro area of 2.3 million), for example, there is only poor and limited bus service, in a huge de-centralized area - you can't get anywhere without a car. To get a license in the US, you are not required to go to a driving school (like the German Fahrschule), just pass a pretty basic written and on-the-road test. So the standards are pretty low, as is the driving skill level. When and where I was coming of age, everyone got a license as soon as they turned 16. Now, many young folks delay that until 18-22 (after college, i.e.,) mostly because of the high cost of insurance for young drivers.
Every time that a "national ID card" has been proposed, it has become a political fight. So generally, situations that require an ID usually say that a "government-issued photo ID" is acceptable. That is, an ID card issued by any government entity.
Yes, I know - TMI.
So the risk of identity theft with the information from a photocopy of the passport isn’t an issue?
It is minimal and pretty much the normal course of business.
I appreciate the responses.. I guess what is stopping someone from going out and getting a credit card with the information is that the photocopy of your photo from the passport isn’t a high quality? And therefore not good for setting up a fake account overseas? Even though they would presumably have your name, Date of Birth, gender and where you were born.
What they wouldn't have is your social security number, which is the key piece of info needed to steal your identity and open accounts in the US. All that other stuff is oh so easy to find on the internet. In fact, people voluntarily put it all out there on Facebook.
Identity theft is almost unheard of in Italy, the first case I read about happened in 2016 and made the local front pages.
In your case they could not obtain an Italian credit card using a foreign document; even if it was possible they should provide also a valid italian bank account number (called IBAN) that can be easily verified.
Ok, they could mail your passports' copies to a "business partner" in US, but... It's a tour company not the Spectre.
I guess what is stopping someone from going out and getting a credit card with the information is that the photocopy of your photo from the passport isn’t a high quality?
What is stopping someone getting a credit card in your name, or any other dubious activity, is that they all need to see your actual passport, not a photocopy. Even if someone steals your passport, they have the problem of the high-security photo.
I was in a bank today, and they asked for my passport before they would discuss my bank account contents.
You also use a passport to show you are 18 to buy alcohol.
Why in the US can you commit identity fraud by just knowing a number? Why don't they insist on proper ID?
I think part of the problem is the American cultural lack of experience with passports. A lot of people especially first time passport holders think it is just a notch below gold. Everyone is out to steal an American passport because they are so valuable. Whereas I think Europeans are more comfortable carrying "papers." Actually a US driver's license has a lot more information than a passport and far more useful for id theft. And wait till an Italian hotels asks to keep your passport overnight. That is when the real panic, for some, set it. It is just a document that you need to protect but not panic if someone makes a copy.
There's enough stuff to worry about without adding this to the list. If anything, you may notice that there is more respect for security in Italy than here. In lots of restaurants, your waiter will not take your credit card from you - he/she will bring a little machine to your table to scan. That way your card never leaves your presence, unlike here in the US where they could make a copy of it if they wanted to.
Thanks for the perspective on this subject. It has been 25 years since I have traveled abroad.. And the mantra the last time I went over seas was “never give up your passport” which sounded like a good idea at the time.. Just trying to put this back into a practical application of common sense that is up to date and reliable.
Thank you Stan, I had always been curious and your reply was very thorough!!
Regarding the topic of this post, I find it funny that people are willing to give a waiter their credit card for a while, but won't send their passport s details!
Don't know where you were traveling 25 years ago but in the 80s and at least early 90s, it was the rule in Italy that the hotel clerk took your passport overnight when checking in. in the morning you would find your passport in your key slot behind the desk. Don't remember any rule about not giving up your passport. Vaguely remember the same thing in Greece and Spain but memory of travel over the past 47 years is not as accurate as it used to be.
I think part of the problem is the American cultural lack of experience with passports. A lot of people especially first time passport holders think it is just a notch below gold. . . . . Actually a US driver's license has a lot more information than a passport and far more useful for id theft.
I think Frank has it correct. Passports are things you carry around regularly.
