Identity Theft, Is This Really You?

The fluidity with which we treat our personal information is surprisingly underestimated. The ease with which we share information with perfect strangers, leave our very important details and documents without having agreed to terms and conditions is also quite surprising. Especially in Kenya.

The other day i came across the image below shared by @0000001ac on instagram.

The same individual had cloned himself 6 times, using what you would think are “fake details” of a national identity card number.

At first stance, I thought that the numbers that are used on the various cards were made up. So i decided to put these thoughts to a test.

In a previous blog post, I talked about Elections and Government Systems and the little that is done to protect citizen data. So, I only share the following information purely out of the fact that these details are freely and publicly available online, through a government body’s website. And also to prove a point.

I took the ID numbers on all the fake IDs above and used the online verification system for voter registration to try find out if these numbers were indeed legitimate.

All 6 numbers were and they indeed belonged to registered voters of Kenya.

There are numerous things that one can do simply by holding a “valid ID card” in this country. “Proof” that you are a citizen of Kenya, open a bank/Mobile money account, get a job, own property e.t.c

With the disconnection of our government and corporate systems, there is also no saying what one can do as an owner of multiple identities ranging from fraudulent transactions to easily acquiring citizenship of this country.

So, my question to you is, when you walk/drive into that building and leave your identity card, name, car registration details, e.t.c, details that should be guarded with your all, is there only you in existence?