Published 3rd June, 2015

Identity theft has become an epidemic in US, while in India the cases of identity theft are relatively low given the less number of online transactions and use of internet. While in India there is no reliable statistics available on the extent of identity theft, however it would be safe to assume a rapid escalation in identity theft cases with increase in the number of online banking and ecommerce transactions like online share transactions and owing to the fact that the customers are not technically adept with virtual world.

A major growing problem world over due to IT revolution is identity theft which has been referred to as the crime of the new millennium. Identity theft is the stealing and use of someone personal information used primarily for financial or monetary gain. Unlike your fingerprints, which are unique to you and cannot be taken by someone else for their use, your personal data like your bank account or credit card number, passwords, login Ids and other valuable identifying data ­ can of course be used, if they fall into the hands of fraudster which can be used to make money at your expense & liability. On the internet, fraudulent transactions are the most prevalent crime committed by fraudster with the stolen identity like take over of the credit card account, use of stolen identity to create a new credit account, execution of fraudulent online share transactions etc.

Sometimes, however, it may not be made for financial gain but as an act of vindictiveness or revenge or obscenity. A classic example of this may be this. Suppose you have an account with Rediff and also posted your profile with your photos and very personal details. Now one day you are informed by your friend that while surfing ORKUT he found your profile with your name & personal details with a lot of pornographic content with obscene language. Thus, the thief has committed the theft of your profile with photos & personal details and by using the stolen profile created an obscene profile posing as you.