ABSTRACT
It is important to preface the discussion with a brief consideration of the social and temporal contexts in which identity theft is evolving. Although identity theft is often heralded as a new crime threat, the phenomenon itself is by no means unique to the modern world or, indeed, to the Information Age. Throughout history, criminals have used false identities to commit their crimes, and their motivations have ranged from social control to commercial exploitation, financial gain, voyeurism, political protest, stalking, and harassment (Grabosky et al. 2001, Garfinkel 2001). However, as identity theft emerges as a growing crime problem in the 21st century, it has new features that are closely linked with changes in modern society. Globalization has brought with it a faster, more mobile way of life with increasing opportunities for travel and business, and this has brought
significant new opportunities for the criminal. Technological advances, including the advent of the Internet, email, and mobile phone technology, have transformed the way in which we live our everyday lives and, in many ways, have facilitated criminal enterprise. With all of these changes come new risks and, with them, new challenges. Whom can we trust? Where is it safe? Who is vulnerable? As a result we are increasingly required to prove our identity as we interact with other individuals in both real and virtual environments, and the identification process is more important now than it has ever been.
