According to Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report criminals are increasingly resorting to stealing identities to commit crime.

Identity Theft or identity fraud has been in the news recently because of the shift to remote hiring & WFH. This means that the recently hired employee, remotely interviewed, and with whom the interaction is going to be limited to Zoom/247meeting/Blue Jeans etc, is in reality, someone else. This impersonation is also called ghost hiring, candidate impersonation, or candidate identity theft. A similar situation is when someone applies for a job by assuming the identity, the resume, the work history of another person who has all the right credentials for the job.

Identity Theft/Impersonation –

• Remote interview through online methods etc., & WFH have made it possible for impersonation to flourish.
• Students have been found using paid impersonators to appear, on their behalf, in offline and online exams.
• Job-candidates found using paid impersonators to take online or even offline job interviews.
• Company employee’s kith & kin taking the place of the company entitled family member in order to take undue advantage of the company provided Insurance/Medical facility meant for specific family members- father and mother, mostly.
• Academic institutions stealing logos of other legitimate, lesser known, remote academic institutions.

Main tools in prevention of ID theft and impersonation -

• Photo ID verification
• Address verification,
• Credit Rating check and Bank details verification

Corporate Investigations India has solved a number of identity fraud and impersonation cases.