Identity crime provides a foundation for many other forms of serious crime. Fraudulent identities may be used for money laundering, tax evasion, dealing in stolen motor vehicles, or to protect the true identities of organised crime members.

In addition to facilitating the commission of other offences, organised crime groups may also sell stolen identity information to other criminal networks. When a person has their identity stolen, they may experience repeated victimisation. In this way, organised crime groups can use fraudulent identities to cause considerable financial loss.

The report indicates that identity crime continues to be one of the most common crimes in Australia. It also estimates that the annual economic impact of identity crime exceeds $2.2 billion and supports findings from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission that identity crime continues to be a key enabler of serious and organised crime.