Identity Theft/Identity Fraud occurs when criminals steal and use another person's personal information to commit fraud, typically for financial gain or to obtain services under the victim's name.
Common Types
- Financial fraud
- Medical identity theft
- Criminal identity theft
- Synthetic identity fraud
- Account takeover
Stolen Information
- Social Security numbers
- Credit card details
- Banking information
- Personal documents
- Login credentials
Warning Signs
- Unauthorized charges
- Strange accounts
- Credit changes
- Collection calls
- Unfamiliar bills
Prevention Methods
- Credit monitoring
- Identity protection
- Strong passwords
- Document security
- Regular checks
Response Steps
- Report incidents
- Credit freezes
- Account changes
- Documentation
- Law enforcement
Identity theft can have severe financial and personal consequences for victims.