Sweden to outlaw identity theft

The Swedish government on Friday said it plans to outlaw identity theft and send those guilty of the crime to prison for up to two years.

Whether done for financial gain or to harass a person, the crime of "unlawful identity use" would serve to protect victims of identity theft, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.

"Taking over the identity of another should be punishable. It should also be possible to convict people of unlawful stalking if they through identity theft repeatedly violate the privacy of another person", Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said.

At present, the Swedish criminal code offers no protection for a victim of impersonation through identity theft. The new law, which is subject to approval by parliament, would come into force July 1 this year.

The government recently imposed limits on passport issuances in a bid to step up its efforts against fraud. Endit