Online ID theft techniques, investigation and response

Abstract

ID theft, especially in its online form, is currently one of the most prevalent types of computer crime. The limited end-user awareness as well as the retention and business processing of large amounts of personal data in a manner that does not meet security and regulatory requirements provide plenty of opportunities to fraudsters. A number of organisations have produced guidelines of good practice targeted to individuals and organisations, however the matter is still on the rise. In this paper, we review computer-based techniques employed by fraudsters in order to steal IDs and refer to published guidelines and the documented good practice against those. We discuss the issues related to the investigation of such incidents and provide the grounds for the development of a framework to assist in their forensic examination.

Exploring the Challenges of Forensic Technology in Responding to Identity Document Theft in Polokwane Policing Area, South Africa

“…If it is possible, the perpetrator should also be identified. The latter is perhaps one of the most challenging tasks as, unlike DNA evidence, computer records can identify user accounts that are logical, not physically, linked to individuals, Angelopoulou, Thomas, Xynos, and Tryfonas (2007). Forensic extraction and analysis of data from a computer hard disk will detail much of this information.…”

“…Forensics professionals could then refer to this when they have to examine a case concerning online ID theft. The main idea is that the professional will be able to identify and understand the nature of the crime scene in the future through such a systematic analytical framework, Angelopoulou et al (2007).…”