In the present globalised world, we enter into various transactions through internet which involves sharing of our personal sensitive information like bank details, contact number, etc. Many a times, our personal data doesn’t remain confidential, and it is used by some fraudulent people for committing illicit activities. This method of committing the crime is known as Identify theft. In UAE, there is an alarming rise in such cases, and approximate 68000 cases are registered in the year 2020 by the smartphone users.
In this article, we will explore the legal provisions regarding the identity theft and the measures to protect from them.
What is Identity Theft?
In simple words, it can be defined as a crime wherein the offender obtains the personal or financial information of another person fraudulently with an intention of using that person’s identity for committing a fraud or other illegal activities. Such illicit activities include unauthorized online transactions, online shopping, etc.
In legal terms, this offense is provided under Article 399 of the Federal Law No (3) of 1987 (UAE Penal code). As per this Article, if a person obtains a movable property, document, data, etc fraudulently or by using false name, he shall be subject to a fine and an imprisonment as prescribed by the law. The term data include all kinds of information, such as birth certificate, bank details, license, insurance details, medical data, etc.
Further, in addition to the UAE Penal code, this offense of identity theft is punishable under Article 9 of the UAE cybercrime law. If a person uses a computer network by using a false address for the purpose of committing a crime, he shall be subject to an imprisonment and a minimum fine of AED 50000, which can be extended up to AED 500000.
How to protect yourself from Identity thefts?
Followings are some steps by which you can protect yourself from identity thefts:
- You must not share your personal information, such as your banking information, identifying card details, pin codes, Emirates ID, etc with any person neither online nor during a phone call.
- All your social media accounts should be secured with high security passwords and you should change them on frequent intervals.