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5. What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the
personal or financial information of another
person to use their identity to commit fraud, such
as making unauthorized transactions or
purchases. Identity theft is committed in many
different ways and its victims are typically left
with damage to their credit, finances, and
reputation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and

credentials to commit fraud.

• There are various forms of identity theft, but the most common is financial.

• Identity theft protection is a growing industry that keeps track of people's credit

reports, financial activity, and Social Security number use.

Understanding Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information—such as
your Social Security number, bank account number, and credit card information.
Identity theft can be committed in many different ways. Some identity thieves sift
through trash bins looking for bank
account and credit card statements.
More high-tech methods involve
accessing corporate databases to steal
lists of customer information. Once
identity thieves have the information

they are looking for, they can ruin a
person's credit rating and the
standing of other personal
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information.

Identity thieves increasingly use computer technology to obtain other people's
personal information for identity fraud. To find such information, they may search the
hard drives of stolen or discarded computers; hack into computers or computer