The Challenge of Identity Theft in Multi-Level Governance; Towards a Co-Ordinated Action Plan for Protecting and Empowering Victims
GLOBALISATION, VICTIMS AND EMPOWERMENT, STUDIES IN GLOBAL JUSTICE SERIES, Jan van Dijk, Rianne Letschert, eds., Springer, Forthcoming
TILT Law & Technology Working Paper No. 013/2009
25 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009 Last revised: 13 Jul 2014
Date Written: August 11, 2009
Abstract
The growing role of the Internet within contemporary society provides innovative opportunities for more efficient and convenient ways of committing ‘old’ crimes. Identity theft is a prime example of a crime that perpetrators currently manage to commit in a low-risk environment through creative use of the Internet, leading to a potentially enormous increase in victimization. Online identity theft has proven to be a particularly complicated crime with regard to detection, investigation, and prosecution. Issues of jurisdiction and lack of cooperation among states complicate the ability of individual states to actually protect their citizens against identity theft. The primary aim of this chapter is to analyze the challenge of Internet-related identity theft and the role of multi-level governance in combating this crime. We analyze the concept and prevalence of identity theft, victimization issues, and the role of the Internet. Following the notion of multi-level governance, we then present a general idea for a multi-level action plan to help and empower victims of identity theft, particularly in the context of the Internet. We analyze how this action plan fits in with current policy-making, in order to determine the challenge of Internet-related identity theft in multi-level governance.
Keywords: identity theft, Internet, cybercrime, multi-level governance, victimology
JEL Classification: K14, K42
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation