Identity Theft

One of the most sophisticated or otherwise white collar crimes is on the rise in Jamaica. No longer are thieves breaking into houses and stealing money and jewellery, they now operate in an organized ring where if they get a hold of your credit card number or other national documents and if you are not vigilant they could dry your account or steal your identity.

Google defines identity theft as the crime of stealing someone’s personal identifying information for the purpose of using it fraudulently and your personal identifying information includes birth certificate, marriage certificate, credit card, identification card, passport, TRN, etc.

Google’s Wikipedia defines it as a term used to refer to fraud that involves someone pretending to be someone else in order to steal money or get other benefits.

Identity theft is a fast developing crime in the world and Jamaica is no exception. People all over the world have always been creating new images of self and so creating fraudulent documents such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, credit card, identification card, passport etc. to acquire assets such as land, motor vehicle, house, business, credit cards, travel, have access to bank accounts and others.

In the event a person takes a fraudulent document to be processed at a government agency, e.g. The Registrar General’s Department, that document would be examined and if found to be tampered with in any way, it would be confiscated, and the fraud squad called in, if the person is found guilty of using false document to create an identity then a charge would be laid against that person. An incomplete birth certificate can be used to fraudulently enter a person’s name claiming to be the owner of that record. If the father’s particulars are not entered on a child’s birth certificate that also can be used by another man claiming to be the father of the child. That is why it is important to have a complete registration done in the hospital (bedside registration) or at home immediately after a child is born, having both parents (if not married) to name that child and have father’s particulars entered.  

Recently a man was arrested and charged for stealing his former classmate identity to attend university he was subsequently caught when his classmate’s father found out and reported it to the fraud squad.

Information given to an agent who is not legally registered to process vital records on someone’s behalf can be risky or if someone tries to create an identity other than that of is own could get in trouble with the law.