Forgery and impersonation have always been a threat to commerce and government. Technological advances and globalisation of trade have presented powerful new tools and opportunities not only to legitimate business but to those who make money from attacking it.  ID theft - against individuals, professional firms, private companies - is an increasingly common method of fraud which yields significant profit to the fraudster at minimal risk of prosecution, especially if conducted online from a distant jurisdiction.
 
As active partners of the National Fraud Authority we are pleased to recommend its free practical guide to assessing and strengthening your existing defences against ID theft and fraud: please click here

This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq

Law-Now information is for general purposes and guidance only. The information and opinions expressed in all Law-Now articles are not necessarily comprehensive and do not purport to give professional or legal advice. All Law-Now information relates to circumstances prevailing at the date of its original publication and may not have been updated to reflect subsequent developments.

The original publication date for this article was 04/11/2010.