Publications

Criminal misuse of identity in higher education

Russell G Smith

Published in:
Privacy law bulletin 2(9), March 2006.

Abstract

One of the most intractable crime problems that has arisen in the twenty-first century concerns the criminal misuse of identity - popularly known as identity fraud or identity theft. Computer technologies have enabled documents used to verify an individual's identity to be altered or counterfeited with ease, leading to a problem which, in 2001-02, was estimated to cost $1.1 billion in Australia alone. The higher education sector is not immune from risks of identity-related fraud and other kinds of dishonest practices, and, as this paper demonstrates, risks are present throughout the sector. Specific areas of concern discussed include enrolment fraud, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) certificate fraud, student identity card fraud, student loan fraud, examination fraud, essay fraud (including plagiarism), database fraud, qualifications fraud, testamur fraud, HECS debt evasion, employment application fraud, administration fraud, and research grant fraud. Examples of these are presented, chosen from cases recently prosecuted in Australia and overseas. The paper also discusses ways of reducing the risks associated with identification of students and staff, and notes that the key to fraud prevention lies in the effective use of verification of information with the issuing source.