Prevent an identity crisis
Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes - not only in South Africa, but in the world. In 2007 more than 10 million identity documents were reported stolen in the United States of America.
Article compiled and photos by Annalise Kempen
On 5 August 2008 two men were arrested in Soweto after they had been caught selling a fake ID document to a Mozambican 
man for R1400. According to the police, the men alleged that they were working as "agents" for the Department of Home Affairs - but the "agents" were caught when one of their customers, another Mozambican who had been working with the police, reported them to the authorities.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft can be described as a crime that involves one person appropriating the personal information of another to commit fraud. Identity thieves obtain the names, addresses, birth dates, ID numbers and bank account numbers of their victims in an unlawful manner, and use this information to open bank accounts, apply for loans etc.
Types of identity theft
In all types of identity crime, the common denominator is the unauthorised use of an individual’s personal information with the intent to commit fraud.
In South Africa, the ID document is the most important document - without it one cannot obtain a driving licence, apply for work, open a bank or clothing account, rent an apartment or apply for a loan. If your personal information lands 
in the wrong hands, it can influence your personal credit rating, and also leave you with huge bills that might take some explaining to get your name cleared. And the most important; one surely does not want one’s name connected to any form of criminal activity.
Financial identity theft
Many people succumb to the promises made through e-mails that offer thousands of dollars/ pounds in exchange for the use of one’s banking account for a period of time. These people then fall victim to scams such as the 419 scam. If you do fall victim to one of these scams, inform the police immediately and contact your bank to try and protect you from future account fraud. Remember the saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"
True name fraud / business or commercial ID theft
This occurs when an identity thief uses a victim’s data to open new accounts. Such accounts are used to make large purchases which the perpetrator never pays off. Shortly after opening the account, the thief will inform the institution that the billing address has changed, and in doing so ensure that the victim does not receive the accounts to find out about the crime that has been committed in his/her name.
Account take-over
When a credit card or cheque book falls into the wrong hands, these may be used to charge purchases to the victim’s account. On-line accounts may also be hacked to do transfers to other accounts.
Criminal identity theft
This happens when a person is arrested for a crime and then gives another person’s name to the police, instead of using his/her own. A person may therefore unknowingly become a suspect in a police investigation or get fines or have outstanding warrants against his/her name.
Not only a South African threat
According to Justin Yurek, president of the identity theft protection and rehabilitation company ID Watchdog, more than 10 million people in the USA annually fall victim to identity theft, leading to losses of approximately $50 billion (R400 billion). "ID theft is now bigger than drug trafficking as a crime in the US and it is the third most talked about issue in the media there, after the war in Iraq and the presidential elections."
ID Watchdog was founded in 2005 and has developed a methodology to determine if a client's ID has been compromised by searching about 10 000 databases that are under the control of private or US government agencies. Mr Yurek said that one's identity rests on five key elements: name, date of birth, address, social security number (ID number in SA) and telephone numbers. These are the five elements that are most commonly needed by the fraudsters to acquire new mortgages or obtain credit or bank accounts in the victim's name. However, the fraudster will usually change one aspect, such as the address, to complete the victimisation.
According to CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd, identity crime presents a global threat to the security of nations, citizens, economies and global commerce. But in comparison to countries such as Canada, the USA and the European Union, South Africa needs to enforce stricter legislation to protect its citizens and businesses against the scourge of identity crime.
As stated previously, the impact of identity crime can vary from individual or business financial loss and reputational damage to major disruption caused by terrorist activity. Although accurate statistics are not readily available, the SA Fraud Prevention Services estimate the annual loss relating to fraudulent activity in South Africa to range between R800 million and R3 billion. Known incidences of identity theft reportedly increased from 4678 in 2005, to 6831 in 2006, while the figure reached 7100 by December 2007.
Who is most at risk?
Alexander Forbes Risk and Insurance Services stated in a report in 2006 that the average discovery time of identity theft is more than 14 months and people whose identities have been stolen often spend many more months and thousands of rands reinstating their good name and credit record. Peter Olyott, who heads the group's research and development division, Cre8, said that "often fraud is detected only if a customer reviews his/her credit card statement or needs to travel outside the country and finds that his/her passport is missing".
In 2006, the CEO of the international background screening company, Kroll, said that "hardly a day passes that we don't come across individuals with forged qualifications, false (identity documents) and bogus passports". She used the example of the extent and danger of identity theft, namely a 29-year-old alleged fraudster who variously claimed to have been a dentist, cell- phone executive, American multimillionaire and a doctor. 
Thus, the better the credit rating of an individual, the greater the chances that they are going to become the targets of syndicates who use their identities to defraud business(es), both locally and internationally. If the fraudster is armed with the ID number of a person with a good credit rating, it is much easier for them to open numerous accounts in that person’s name and start with their spending spree.
Cruel methods
In July 2008 Beeld reported that some fraudsters do not hesitate to use exceptionally brutal methods to ensure that their victims would not be recognised after being "removed from society". A 38-year-old woman from an affluent area in Johannesburg was arrested in July 2008 for her role in heading an operation after 21 people had allegedly been killed to get insurance money. The victims were either homeless people or prostitutes who had first been repeatedly stabbed (one victim allegedly had 72 stab wounds) whereafter some of the victims’ heads were driven over by a car to ensure that they were disfigured in such a way that the police would not be able to compare their faces with photos in false identity documents that the alleged murderers had obtained beforehand. The report further stated: "These exceptionally cruel murders were probably to make 100% sure that the victims died, otherwise the whole fraud operation with the insurance money would fall flat. The police are investigating the operation by which the syndicate - that presumably had help from within the Department of Home Affairs - obtained the false IDs and then took out life insurance (with themselves as beneficiaries) on the life of their ‘brother’ or ‘sister’."
Safeguard your identity
The following guidelines can act as precautionary measures to safeguard one’s identity:
Restrict access to your personal information and documents, banking details, etc and do not leave documents unattended.
Never use Internet cafés for business transactions or reveal your identity or security features such as PIN numbers.
Do not accept help from others, especially at ATMs or banking halls.
Check your credit rating periodically to ensure that your identity has not been replicated elsewhere.
Avoid electronic communication and interactions with unfamiliar suppliers/ vendors, especially when you are required to provide personal or sensitive informa-tion about yourself.
Aim to transact directly (face-to-face) with parties legitimately interested in you or your business.
Be suspicious of any gestures of kind and/or fame or fortune, especially where you are required to provide personal information about yourself.
Verify (through accredited data agencies) the identity of companies/people who contact you, and make sure that you are dealing with authenticated people/docu- ments/companies.
IDENTITY DOCUMENTS AND DRIVING LICENCES
An ID document or driving licence is often requested by law enforcers at roadblocks, or by cashiers at retail stores especially when the client uses a cheque to make a purchase. In the latter example this will be done to compare the ID number on the cheque to the ID number in the ID document. In roadblocks the quick test used by the traffic officer is to see if the driver has a valid driving licence for the type of vehicle that is driven, and to compare the photo on the card with the driver’s face. However, the authenticity of the identifying document is seldom questioned - as long as the obvious information corresponds, the person who has requested the identity document is mostly satisfied.
As an ID document is the main form of identity for the majority of South Africans who are 16 years and older, it is extremely important that especially law enforcers and bank officials know the security features of the South African ID document. However, the green South African ID document only has two security features, namely a watermark and the Coat of Arms - making it easy to forge.
The fraudsters mainly use two methods to commit forgery with a previously legally issued South African ID document - they either replace the original photo or they will change selected text on the first page of the ID document (a number or a name). In South Africa it is also common knowledge that there are many corrupt officials working at the Department of Home Affairs who assist organised crime syndicates to obtain ID documents.
Between April and September 2007, at least 189 Home Affairs employees had either been suspended or dismissed. Charges against them ranged from fraud, aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, illegal issuing of documents, selling fraudulent documents, soliciting bribes and theft of documents.
In December 2007 the Department reported on the arrest of a number of their employees for crimes relating to ID document theft. In one case an employee working at the ID factory was arrested after a routine body search revealed that he had tried to hide 14 ID documents without photos on his body. The previous week five Home Affairs officials were arrested for charges ranging from fraud, late registration of births, unlawful nullifying of marriages, and documenting fraudulent marriages between South African women and illegal immigrants.
Another problem with forged ID documents is that people can get work under a false identity. One can therefore only wonder how many employees, especially law enforcers or security personnel, have been so appointed if the employer had not taken the trouble to verify the person’s identity.
Compared to the lack of security features on the South African ID document, the South African driving licence card has more than 20 security features. The South African passport has to comply with international standards and therefore also has numerous security features.
A tool to detect forged identity documents
Although some companies prefer to use a background screening company to determine whether a potential employee has a criminal record or to confirm his/her true identity, a special tool has been developed by a former police official that picks up both forged ID documents and forged driving licences. The "ID Buddy" is an easy-to use machine fitted with both a UV and a white light.
Depending on which document’s authenticity is checked, either the white or the UV light can be used. For example: official documents are not printed on photocopy paper that is commercially available, and is therefore UV dull. The glue used for the photo and the white cotton that is used to stitch the pages together are also UV dull. However, as fraudsters know that the majority of retail stores or law enforcers only check that the basic details and the photo correspond with the bearer of the ID document, they do not take care with the type of material used to commit the forgery.
If a forged ID document is placed under the ID Buddy and the UV-light is switched on, the glue that has been used to stick the new photo on page 1 or the home-made stitches will "light up". Once the white light is switched on, the new font that is used to replace a number, or a letter from the original, will "light up". Similarly will the photocopy paper that has been used for a forged driving licence "light up".
Many South African banks also use the ID Buddy to check for forged currency.
Companies who do not have the use of an ID Buddy must pay special attention to the following features when checking a document’s validity.
Lamination
Check that the lamination used on page 1 and 4 is intact and that there are no air bubbles.
Barcode
In terms of the Identification Amendment Act 2000, all South African ID documents must have a barcode, which is printed directly underneath the ID number. The barcode must be clear, without breaks or smudges.
Photograph
The first page of the ID document must contain a photograph of the bearer, which must fit inside the frame. Ensure that there are no broken lines around the photograph where the density of the ink may seem to be disturbed.
Corresponding information
Ensure that the personal information that is printed on page 4 corresponds with those printed on page 1.
The South African driving licence card:
The card consists of a paper core that is laminated in between two layers of polyester laminate, with a 3 mm paperless transparent edge.
Dimensions
The overall dimensions of the driving licence card are: 54 mm (height) x 85 mm (width) x 0.76 mm (thickness).
Front of card
- A special designed font licensed to the Dept of Transport is used on the
driving card.
- The photo is always black and white, and in most cases no background is
visible. Make sure that the photo is not pasted, but digitally printed.
- The proteas’ appearance is generated by ultra thin lines, varying in thickness.
Back of card
- A 2-dimensional barcode is printed on the back of the card, which can only be read with a suitable card verification device.
- A watermark is visible in the top white area of the fingerprint, and represents a protea. The watermark is repeated frequently and is clearly visible when a backlight is used. It should not overlap the 2D barcode.
General
- As from April 2004 "South Africa" is printed diagonally in gold across the card.
- Ultra violet fibres are printed on the paper that will illuminate when exposed to an ultra violet light.
For more information on the "ID Buddy" contact HJN Training at tel: (012) 658 0932 - quote "SERVAMUS" as your reference.
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There are many claims that the South African authorities do not afford identity theft enough attention - but with the impact ranging from obtaining grants that are supposed to be paid to the poor, to a false identity with which a crime is committed, stricter legislation must be enforced to put a stop to this white-collar crime that is costing our country too much.
Sources:
De Bruyn, P. 2008. "Dainfern woman ran deadly scam." Beeld - http://www.news24.com/News24/South-Africa/News/0,,2 7 1442-2361086,00.html - accessed on 21 July 2008.
"Detection and Identification of forged documents." HJN Training document.
https://www.fnb.co.za/legallinks/securitycentre/identity.html - accessed on 3 July 2008.
http://www.home affairs.gov.za/media-releases.asp - accessed on 9 August 2008.
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page201650?oid=211571&sn=Detail - accessed on 3 July 2008
Interview with Hennie van Rooyen from HJN Training on 13 June 2008.
Sapa. 2008. "Fake IDs: Duo arrested." Pretoria News. 5 August.
