Identity theft
Criminalises specified dishonest or fraudulent use of another person’s digital identifiers.
Official law source ↗Cyber · LEGAL ISSUE GUIDE
Identity Theft / Impersonation
पहचान की चोरी
Find sections for stolen digital identifiers and fraudulent impersonation.
Understanding this legal issue
Find sections for stolen digital identifiers and fraudulent impersonation.
An impersonation complaint may involve both information technology and penal-law provisions if different ingredients are shown.
Key question: Was another person’s credential, digital signature or identity used?
SELECTED PROVISIONS · NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST
Core offences
Cheating by personation using computer resources
Addresses specified online or electronic impersonation fraud.
Official law source ↗Cheating by personation
Addresses cheating by impersonating another person.
Earlier-law reference: IPC 416 / 419 · orientation only
Official law source ↗Related offences
Cheating
Addresses cheating; more serious variants are in the relevant subsections.
Earlier-law reference: IPC 415 / 417 / 420 (subsection-dependent) · orientation only
Official law source ↗Computer-related offences
Criminal provision for specified dishonest/fraudulent computer-related acts.
Official law source ↗Forgery
Addresses forgery, including statutory forms related to documents and records.
Earlier-law reference: IPC 463 / 465 (context-dependent) · orientation only
Official law source ↗Evidence & procedure
Admissibility of electronic records
Sets conditions relevant to electronic records and the statutory certificate framework.
Official law source ↗Information in cognizable cases
Provision concerning giving and recording information about cognizable offences.
Earlier-law reference: CrPC 154 · orientation only
Official law source ↗Before relying on these references: Read the full official law, check sub-sections, schedules, exemptions, dates, special Acts, transition rules and current judicial interpretation. Mentioning a section here does not mean it applies to every fact pattern.