Legal Definitions - personation

Personation refers to the act of pretending to be another person, whether real or fictitious, often with the intent to deceive, defraud, or gain an unauthorized advantage. It involves assuming someone else's identity to mislead others about who you truly are.

Here are some examples to illustrate personation:

• Example 1: A person creates a fake online profile using the name, photos, and personal details of a former classmate. They then use this fabricated identity to apply for a loan, hoping to secure funds under the classmate's name without their knowledge or consent.

  Explanation: This is personation because the individual is falsely assuming the identity of their former classmate to deceive a financial institution and commit fraud, demonstrating the act of pretending to be another person for illicit gain.

• Example 2: During a local election, an individual attempts to cast a ballot by presenting a voter registration card belonging to their deceased grandparent, claiming to be that person.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates personation because the individual is pretending to be their grandparent, using a deceased person's identity to unlawfully participate in the electoral process, which is a form of voter fraud.

• Example 3: An employee, who has been terminated, uses a stolen access card and uniform belonging to a current staff member to re-enter their former workplace after hours, intending to retrieve confidential company documents.

  Explanation: This constitutes personation as the terminated employee is falsely representing themselves as a current staff member by using another person's credentials and attire to gain unauthorized entry and access, thereby deceiving security and management about their identity and purpose.