Identity Theft can be described as one pretending to be someone else and misusing that identity. It is a crime to do so, but it is not a new crime. What is new however, if the way one's identity is stolen, and where the identity is misused.
Historically people would pretend to be someone else and (for example) walk into a shop to purchase an item using the credit of another. But now, the new place to steal one's identity is in the Internet.
The Internet in recent times have seen many cases of Identity Thefts. People receiving e-mails asking for your name and bank account no is a common way to steal your identity. These e-mails are hoax and one must be wary when receiving such a request.
Another recent problem is phising. When surfing and "reaching" a website, be more careful as that website may not be the website you think it is. Classic cases are website phising for your e-mail address.
As e-commerce grows, and Internet quickly turning into the main method of registration etc, registering one's identity on the Internet will be the conduit for people to register oneself for more and more things. Things like buying stuff, confirming air tickets etc etc, can all be done through the internet.
The current laws in Malaysia to stem out Identity theft, in our view is still lacking. TheCommunication & Multimedia Act does not have specific provisions to deal with this problems, though in some of my personal meetings with Officers from Malaysian Communication & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) & Cyber Security; the people in charge of policing the Internet in Malaysia; are well aware of this problem and are looking into this.
In the interim, we share some interesting website for your knowledge and further reading on this area of Information Technology Law.
- News of an Ivy League Graduate who was seduced by money stolen from using other people's identity.
- An American view on Identity Theft
- A specific website for Identity Theft from UK
- A Malaysian Context
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