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Identity Theft and Fraud

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Innovating Government

Part of the book series: Information Technology and Law Series ((ITLS,volume 20))

Abstract

There are many different forms of identity theft. In 2004, I fell victim to one of the more common ones, debit card fraud. Someone had managed to copy my debit card and had also acquired my pin code. Presumably through a modified ATM, fitted with a card reader and a small hidden camera. Using the copied debit card and spied pin code, this person then managed to empty my entire checking’s account at various ATM’s abroad, in France and Italy. I had an overdraft facility, and the criminal was more than happy to take full advantage of that as well. Overnight, the little credit I had with the bank was converted into a 1,000 € debt.

Peter van Schijndel wrote his master’s thesis, at the Centre for eLaw, on the subject of Identity Theft. This chapter is based on Schijndel (2009).

Contribution received in 2010.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Kuiper 2004, provides some statistical data on the success-rate of claims for reimbursement after debit-card fraud: only 12.16% of all claims were awarded. At present banks are more forthcoming in compensating victims.

  2. 2.

    Prins 2007, identifies five different forms of identity all dependent on their context: (1) legal identity, (2) administrative identity, (3) cultural identity, (4) religious identity and (5) personal identity.

  3. 3.

    Reference is made to Foucalt and his idea of 'Gouvernementalité,’ Foucalt 1991, p. 100.

  4. 4.

    An avatar will usually ‘belong’ to a real person, but may in some cases not be a representation of that person. The owner may not recognize himself in the actions of his avatar: e.g., in the atrocities of war committed by his World of Warcraft avatar. The avatar and the person behind the avatar are in Locke's definition of identity, not the same person. Being the ‘owner’ of an avatar, and having instructed the avatar, will however be part of the identity of the real person.

  5. 5.

    The list is a condensed grouping of the examples given in: Clarke 1994.

  6. 6.

    The possibility is denied in De Vries et al. 2007, p. 219.

  7. 7.

    See Rost and Meints 2005, p. 217, where the concepts of ‘Identitätskolision’ and ‘Identitätswechsel’ are introduced.

  8. 8.

    Apparently it is quite common practice in the Netherlands for convicted criminals to pay someone else to report to prison and be incarcerated in their name. After a couple of weeks incarceration, the ‘fake’ criminal reports the confused identities and is released. The real criminal has by then disappeared.

  9. 9.

    Strictly speaking financial identity theft/fraud is a species of criminal identity theft/fraud, as wrongful financial gain is a crime.

  10. 10.

    United States Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, United States Code, title 18, s. 1028(a)(7).

  11. 11.

    Currently, a new bill regarding identity fraud in criminal proceeding is pending in the Dutch Senate (‘Eerste Kamer’) (‘Wet identiteitsvaststelling verdachten,veroordeelden en getuigen’, Kamerstukken I/II, 31 436). This bill focuses on the prevention of identity fraud in criminal legal proceedings. The bill is aimed at providing a more robust identification process. It however does not introduce penalty provision for identity theft that occurs despite these new attempts at prevention.

  12. 12.

    Hoge Raad (Supreme Court) 23 May 1921, NJ 1921/564.

  13. 13.

    Hoge Raad (Supreme Court) 3 December 1996, NJ 1997/574.

  14. 14.

    See among others De Vries et al. 2007, p. 219, and Prins and van der Meulen 2006, p. 11.

  15. 15.

    Nationale Ombudsman 2008, rapportnummer 2008/232, 21 October 2008. The report was later revised to make some factual changes, but the conclusions remained unchanged.

  16. 16.

    Ibid., paragraph. 28, p. 14. The convictions by default of appearance appear to be the result of the policy of the police to hand out the subpoena directly to the suspect while he is held at the police station. Subsequently the subpoena is no longer served at the home address of the suspect. If the suspect is incorrectly identified at the police office, the person mentioned in the subpoena is not aware that a subpoena was served on him.

  17. 17.

    Rechtbank (District court) The Hague 2 March 2009, LJN BH4957.

  18. 18.

    The case brought by Kowsoleea against the Dutch State was based on civil law, rather than administrative law as is usually the case in proceedings against the State. The claim was based on governmental tort (‘onrechtmatige overheidsdaad’). A governmental tort has the same legal requirements as a general tort, but the threshold for establishing wrongful behavior on the part of the State is higher than for a normal (legal) person, as the State has broad powers and authority to justify its actions. The reasoning behind the verdict in the Kowsoleea case, being based in civil law, would in principle also apply to cases not involving the State.

  19. 19.

    Rechtbank (District Court) The Hague 2 March 2009, LJN BH4957, consideration 3.6.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hoyng Monegier LLP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter van Schijndel

  2. The Centre for eLaw, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Peter van Schijndel

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  1. Peter van Schijndel
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Correspondence to Peter van Schijndel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Tilburg Institute for Law Technology and, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, Tilburg, 5037 AB, Netherlands

    Simone van der Hof

  2. , Faculty of Law, Department of Public Law, Leiden University, Faculty of Law, Depar, Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw, Steenschuur 25, Leiden, 2311 ES, Netherlands

    Marga M. Groothuis

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© 2011 T.M.C. ASSER PRESS, The Hague, The Netherlands, and the authors 2011

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van Schijndel, P. (2011). Identity Theft and Fraud. In: van der Hof, S., Groothuis, M. (eds) Innovating Government. Information Technology and Law Series, vol 20. T.M.C. Asser Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-731-9_22

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