Identity Theft in the Digital Age: Legal Challenges and the Evolving Role of Law Enforcement in India
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https://doi.org/10.55662/CYLR.2025.4102Keywords:
US Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Information Technology Act, 2000, GDPR, Singapore’s PDPAAbstract
This paper, Identity Theft in the Digital Age: Legal Challenges and the Evolving Role of Law Enforcement in India, examines the growing complexity of cyber identity theft in India's rapidly digitizing economy. It shows how government initiatives like demonetization and Digital India have sped up online transactions but also created opportunities for cybercriminals. While India’s legal framework, based on the Information Technology Act, 2000, and updated by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, provides a base, it faces challenges from quickly changing threats, especially those involving Artificial Intelligence (AI). New tools like AI-driven phishing, deepfake impersonation, and automated identity cloning have lowered the time, skill, and cost needed for cyberattacks, surpassing current enforcement capabilities. This paper examines these challenges closely, focusing on jurisdictional conflicts, the balance between privacy and security, and gaps in enforcement. It also compares India’s approach to global models such as the EU’s GDPR, the US Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, and Singapore’s PDPA, highlighting best practices for legislative reform. The study ends with recommendations for AI-specific legal provisions, training for law enforcement, and international cooperation as key strategies to protect India’s digital ecosystem from the next generation of identity theft.
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