UNODC

An in-depth explanation of your topic

 

Identity-related crimes are crimes in which an unauthorised party targets and steals identity-related information, to assume other people’s identities in order to commit fraud or other criminal acts.

 

The requirements of non face-to-face transactions (trust and security) dominate the economy and e-commerce business. Over the last decades, there has been an increased use of payment cards with a PIN (personal identification number) which verifies the purchase being made. Digitalization and the development of network-based services have also led to an increased use of identity-related information. With the advent of the digital age, offenders target a wider range of personal data, such as account information and passwords, IP addresses and more, and are able to obtain them through methods such as theft or scams.

 

Definitions of Key Terms

 

Identity theft is a punishable act where one's identity and information is used for unlawful activities by other parties.

 

Origin of issue 

 

Society is increasingly reliant on identification information which is used for banking, shopping or travelling. Due to digitalisation, scammers are able to commit mail theft, which increases the possibility of access to identity-related information through digital information. The digitalisation created new targets and scams.

 

Face-to-face identification is also no longer necessary, therefore, identity-related information becomes much more important for participation in social and economical interaction.

 

Significance and impacts of the issue 

 

When other parties obtain one's identity and information, it can be used to do many illegal and unlawful activities. Acts of terrorism, trafficking, fraud, corrupting, illegal trades and transactions may result from identity thefts. The victim's identity and information can also be sold to other parties by the offenders or used to hide the offender's identity.

 

A few years, a scam circulated on Facebook, in which the fraudster hacked a user's account and told friends and family that they were stuck somewhere and in need of cash. Out of desperation to help them, family and friends would wire them the money.

 

How global efforts can resolve identity-related crimes

 

Global efforts to stop identity-related crimes include putting laws and acts in place as prevention. For example, India’s Information Technology Amendment Act of 2008 was introduced to protect e-commerce and e-transactions information exchange and electronic data exchange. Sections 66A to 66F of the Act is about offences that handle identity theft and fraud by the use of the Internet, criminalizing all cybercrime, including identity-related crimes. Punishments vary from fines to imprisonment, depending on the crime’s severity. 

 

Additionally, there are campaigns and companies that teach citizens how to prevent falling victim to those crimes. For example, Shred-it Singapore is a shredding service that has released an infographic sheet on identity theft in Singapore. It teaches the public how severe these crimes are and what steps can be taken to avoid being a victim. Some steps include shredding important documents before disposing them, and using a credit monitoring service. 

 

However, if the crime has already been committed, there should be justice for the victim. Victim assistance, medication and remediation should be a focus. Offenders should be responsible for their behavior and make fair restitution to the victim, such as return of property, payment for harm should the victim sustain any injury, reimbursement of expenses incurred, provision of services and restoration of rights. Victims should receive necessary materials and assistance for recovery from the victimization. All personnel concerned should have enough training to sensitize them to the needs of the victim and teach guidelines on proper and prompt aid. Judicial administrative mechanisms should be established to enable victims to obtain redress through procedures that are fair, inexpensive and accessible.