D5.2b: ID-related Crime: Towards a Common Ground for Interdisciplinary Research

Title: IDENTITY FRAUD

Although "identity fraud" is generally not to be expected in relation with identity collision, there is a creeping transition. If an identity collision occurs, is detected at least by one participant of the communication and taken into account deliberately, but not communicated, the transition to "identity fraud" is made. From this point of view, "identity fraud" includes identity collision that has become reflexive. The example of the friend and the car dealer, who act with different expectations, can certainly not be described as deceit. It is, however, of special interest because a possible "deceit" is not single-sided but the two involved persons try to use the situation to their own benefit, possibly for cheating each other. Both participants of the communication in this case know that they are taking two different roles within the communication and they have to assume the same situation for their communicational partners.  

The types of social system introduced earlier helps us to understand the transition from identity collision to "identity fraud". The transition from identity collision to "identity fraud" is possible if the parties involved participate in the same (and multiple) types of social system. This transition can particularly be observed with role collisions in interactional and organisational systems. There can be collisions of sets of expectations that are oriented differently concerning e.g. friendship, relations, neighbourhood, ethnics, shared philosophical or political opinions, or professionalism. Furthermore, there may be the transition from identity collision to "identity fraud" in terms of, for instance, a friendly, family or political relationship dominating a professional one. The persons involved interact in a way that appears to fulfil the expectations towards other members of the organisation, while the actually mutually evade them for their own personal benefit.  

However, more important than this working-party phenomenon, which also arises in cross-organisation issues, is the interaction of members of an organisation with the organisation’s clients. Even if a seller simulates interest in the client and not primarily at the sale, the participants simply have to assume that both sides aim to maximise their benefits and take part in a communication that is highly standardised and secures expectations. Determining whether fraud is at hand or not requires a precise examination and analysis of the social systems, the roles of the participants therein and observable actions in the light of possible motives. Legislation has developed a set of tools how this can be done.