What can we learn from these 3 identity thieves?

Cases of identity theft are all too common. Unfortunately, most of these crimes do not involve Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy escaping bounty hunters while singing Kelis' Milkshake, like they did in the movie Identity Theft. The majority of cases involve financial loss and emotional toil. Further, identity crime can also be the first step towards organised crime.

According to the Australian government, identity crimes that occurred in 2013-14 cost the nation approximately $2 billion. This figure includes both the indirect and direct losses sustained by government agencies and individuals. (1)

If the costs of policing identity crime are added, around $350 million, the total economic impact of identity crime in Australia comes to $2.4 billion. (1)

What is identity crime?

According to the Crime Commission of Australia, identity crime includes:

• The action of stealing personal identity information and financial data;
• Appropriating another's identity for the sake of fraudulent behaviour;
• Creating fake identities and other documents to facilitate serious crimes. 

These actions can and do lead to more serious crimes, such as: 

• Carrying out  fraud;
• Establishing seemingly legitimate business for the purpose of crime;
• Travelling undetected from the proper authorities. 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), identity crime is one of the most prevalent forms of crime across the country. Figures released by the ABS show that close to 6.7 percent of the entire Australian population aged 15 years and over were the victims of an identity crime in 2010-11. (2) 

But stealing someone's identity is not always as straightforward as taking their wallet, instead, criminals have shown an aptitude for using innovative methods to get at personal information. Here are three unexpected ways thieves have used someone's identity. 

1) Alan Conway

During the 1990s, this English conman impersonated the famous American film director Stanley Kubrick. Interestingly, Mr Conway looked nothing like the director as he was beardless and spoke with an English accent. Nevertheless, he was able to persuade a series of important individuals that he was who he said he was.

Stanley Kubrick, best known for A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, was a reclusive individual. According to a 1999 article from The Guardian, his reluctance to appear in public helped Mr Conway lie, cheat and impersonate himself into the presence of a series of famous individuals. Some of these included theatre critic Frank Rich, a Hollywood film producer who had actually met the real Kubrick and actress Julie Walters. 

Fittingly, Mr Conway passed away at his home on the 5 December 1998, only several months before the real Stanley Kubrick died in his English country mansion. His legacy included a film about his exploits, called Colour Me Kubrick, and a series of books. 

2) David Hampton 

According to a 19 July 2003 article from The New York Times, this conman worked his way into to the inner circles of America's elite, using only his charm and ability to spin fantastic stories. 

His main exploit was duping a series of famous people into believing he was the son of Sidney Poitier and a peer of their children. His scams and fraudulent activities never resulted in huge financial gains: a temporary shelter here and a little money there. 

Mr Hampton's actions were the inspiration for the 1990 John Guare play Six Degrees of Separation. 

But it was not all glitz and glamour, he was a credit card thief and possibly violent, while the long-term costs of his work led to 21 months in prison.

These two cases are a reminder that not all identity crimes come with stolen documents, rather a few are simply a persuasive story told by a persuasive con-artist.

3) Paula Mills

Unlike the first two cases, Paula Mills is a victim of identity theft.

According to a 4 February 2015 Daily Telegraph article, Ms Mills had her mail stolen back in 2014. In the days that followed this innocuous act, her mobile phone and bank account were hacked, which led to a financial loss of around $20,000. (3)

She first noticed something was wrong when her phone had no reception and when she finally checked her letterbox, which she had not emptied in weeks, she found nothing there. 

After calling her mobile provider, she discovered that a new SIM card had been issued for her phone number the day before. The thieves were focused on her mobile phone because it was their gateway into her bank accounts and the PINs that were required. 

Throughout this ordeal, a major theme was the sluggish response from both her bank and telecommunications provider. Although she has been reimbursed for the illegal payments, the long-term effects are hard to foresee.  

Security takeaways

The above cases are three examples of many and they stress the importance of being wary when it comes to outright trusting people and major organisations. For instance, banks are good at keeping track of transactions, but they can do very little about the unlawful circulation of your information. 

Luckily, there are private security companies that can detect fraud by monitoring online places that trade in personal and financial information. 

Make an effort to talk to Identity Watch today and find out how we can help you be proactive about safeguarding your personal details. 

1 Identity crime and misuse in Australia 2013–14. The Attorney-General's Department. Accessed 18/11/2015.

2 Personal fraud costs Australians $1.4 billion. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Accessed 18/11/2015.

3 Mail theft cost me $20,000, identity fraud victim shares her horror story. The Daily Telegraph. Accessed 18/11/2015