One of the biggest concerns for businesses globally is the impersonation or identity theft of their customers. This issue has concerned banks over a long period of time since people impersonating others can execute transactions on their behalf without the actual customer having any clue on the information. Identity theft, simply put, is the use of someone’s personal information to conduct any unlawful act whereby the victim of the theft may become liable for the criminal’s actions. According to the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (1998) passed by the Congress, the crime of identity theft is committed if a person steals another person’s identity with the intent to commit or aid any unlawful activity as prescribed by federal or the state laws. Hence, the act becomes a crime if the intent to commit any unlawful activity is established. …show more content…
Now, imagine the ways this information could be used to conduct a wide variety of unlawful activities. The thought is troublesome. It is very clear that the crime of identity theft is not only limited to inflicting monetary damage upon victim but also includes crimes such as obtaining goods or privileges which the criminal might be denied if he were to use his real name (an under-age buying alcohol).
In such cases, the victims might end up facing losses not only limited to out-of-pocket losses but also additional financial costs that the victim may need to pay in order to restore his position in the society. It needs to be realized that there is a very thin line between the act being justified as a crime or not. Therefore stealing an identity, if and only if is supported with evidence of the intent of performing or aiding any unlawful activity will be classified as a criminal