Colombia enacted a new statutory law establishing additional safeguards for individuals who become victims of identity theft, particularly in connection with negative credit reporting and collection actions arising from obligations fraudulently contracted before telecommunications operators, financial institutions, and commercial establishments.
The statute sets forth a specific procedure through which affected individuals may report the identity theft, request the rectification of adverse credit information, and seek the suspension of collection proceedings while the corresponding investigations are conducted. Among other measures, the relevant entities must immediately suspend collections, accrued interest, and related charges upon being notified of the alleged identity theft.
Furthermore, the law establishes the obligation to include the annotation “Victim of Identity Fraud” in financial information records whenever prima facie evidence of identity theft exists. The statute expressly clarifies that such annotation shall neither constitute a negative credit report nor adversely affect the credit standing or financial score of the affected individual.
The legislation also introduces new obligations for telecommunications operators and financial institutions regarding identity verification procedures, claims handling mechanisms, and personal data protection compliance. In addition, it mandates the implementation of customer assistance channels and digital security awareness initiatives.
The law will enter into force six months following its enactment, except for certain provisions concerning identity validation measures, which shall become effective immediately.
Source: Statutory Law No. 2573 of May 19, 2026.
