Identity theft is a crime in which an attacker uses fraud or deception to obtain personal or sensitive information from a victim and misuses it to act in the victims. Rather, like its consumer crime counterpart, business identity theft. According to the national bureau of justice statistics, in 2014 alone, 17. Identity theft is a devastating crime that can turn your world, and your finances. Download our english dictionary apps available for both ios. Identity theft almost always has a financial institution in the mix, such as a holder of a bank account, lender, debit or credit card issuer. Employment identity theft definition and how to prevent it.
Criminal identity theft occurs when someone cited or arrested for a crime presents himself as another person, by using that. Identity theft is the assumption of a persons identity in order, for instance, to obtain credit. In the fall of 1998, for example, congress passed the identity theft and assumption deterrence act. The definition of identity theft is the unauthorized use of someones personal. Identity theft financial definition of identity theft. Identity theft is the unauthorized collection of personal information and its subsequent use for criminal reasons such as to open credit cards and bank accounts, redirect mail, set up cellphone service, rent vehicles and even get a job.
Financial identity theft and affinity fraud definitions. The accepted employment identity theft definition is when another person uses your identity, usually in the form of a social security number, to apply for a job under false pretenses. A type of fraud in which a criminal combines real usually stolen and fake information to create a new identity, which is used to open fraudulent. Also referred to as identity fraud, identity theft occurs when a person gains access to your personal information and misuses or attempts to misuse it for their own gain. Using the lure of something for nothing, fraudsters attempt to trick their wouldbe victims into downloading free software from the internet. Since that time, the definition of identity theft has been statutorily prescribed throughout both the u.
Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone elses identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other persons name, and perhaps to the other persons disadvantage or loss. In the us, identity theft wasnt legally defined until 1998. Identity theft is the crime of getting personal information about another person without. Whats the department of justice doing about identity theft and fraud. Carefully evaluate free software and filesharing applications before downloading them. Identity theft united states department of justice. Online identity theft is a serious crime, often aimed at obtaining the personal or financial information of another person.
Most forms of identity theft have the end goal of attaining someones social security number, so its wise to prime yourself on the different types of social security identity theft and how they could affect you. Pdf identity theft is made possible by the nature of modern payment systems. Employment identity theft is often more difficult to detect than some forms of identity theft. Identity theft has become an increasingly prevalent issue in recent years. Identity theft definition of identity theft by merriam. Identity theft definition of identity theft by the free. Low securityprivacy protection on photos that are easily clickable and downloaded on social networking sites. And if you become a victim of identity theft, dedicated identity restoration agents. Business identity theft is not an information security breach, or an incident involving the loss or theft of confidential consumer information that a business may possess. Check everything you download to make sure its not malware.
Lifelock identity theft protection sees more threats to your identity, like your personal info on the dark web. Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person for the sole purpose of assuming that persons name or identity to make transactions or purchases. Identity theft report law and legal definition uslegal, inc. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft, yet so few understand the severity of identity theft until they experience it themselves. The obtained information is then used for personal gain, often by making purchases or selling someones identity.
Identity theft is the illegal use of someones personal information for individual gain. It uses innovative monitoring technology and alerting tools to help proactively safeguard your credit and finances. Identity thieves can steal your personal information directly or. Identity theft avira glossary of terms in it security. Protecting yourself from identity theft is a matter of treating all your personal and financial documents as top secret information. Identity theft is a serious crime, as it can ruin the victims credit, making it difficult to obtain a loan when one is needed. This may include making purchases on your current credit card or using your social security number to open a new credit card or obtain a loan. Identity theft protection identity and credit monitoring. Identity theft definition in the cambridge english. Identity theft definition is the illegal use of someone elses personal information such as a social security number especially in order to obtain money or credit. Credit reporting agencies the term identity theft report has the meaning given. This legislation created a new offense of identity theft, which.
This legislation created a new offense of identity theft. Identity theft definition and meaning collins english. Identity theft definition of identity theft by lexico. Having identity theft protection service like lifelock may help protect you from identity theft. The obtained information is then used for personal gain, often by making purchases or selling someones identity or credit card details online to the highest bidder. Report identity id theft to the federal trade commission ftc online at identitytheft. Also known as identity fraud, this type of theft can cost a victim time and money. Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person for the sole purpose of assuming that persons name or identity to make. The links in these mails or texts contain malicious software that can download malware and spyware. The type of identity theft that is the most damaging to the victim is when a criminal opens a new account in the name of the victim. Identity theft meaning of identity theft by lexico. Identity theft is the crime of getting personal information about another person without their knowledge, for example, in order to gain access to their bank account. The identity theft resource center maintains a wealth of information for id theft victims in the form of fact sheets which can be found on the itrc website. It, of course, is because this is where the money is.
Its also useful to download the ftcs publication, taking charge what to do if. Identity theft definition and facts what is identity. If you report identity theft to the ftc online, you will receive an identity theft. All english words that begin with i related terms of. The department of justice prosecutes cases of identity theft and fraud under a variety of federal statutes. Definition of identitytheft noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary.
In reality, if a credit card is stolen, the business where the criminal spent the funds at, will be hurt, not the card holder. Identity theft is the unlawful adoption of another persons personal information with the objective of committing fraud or theft. Identity theft the definitive guide of 2019 malwarebytes. Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone elses identity, usually as a method to gain a. The company you call must contact the other two so they can. Many banks and credit card companies provide identity theft protection to reduce a clients liability for identity theft. Identity theft definition, the fraudulent appropriation and use of someones identifying or personal data or documents, as a credit card. Call one of the nationwide credit reporting companies, and ask for a fraud alert on your credit report. Identity theft is a crime in which an attacker uses fraud or deception to obtain personal or sensitive information from a victim and misuses it to act in the victims name. Identity id theft happens when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud. In this article, we give you an overview of what constitutes identity theft and you how you can protect yourself from it, as well as what you can do as a victim. The software may be able to mine your computer for personal.