Define Identity Theft

Know How To Define Identity Theft And Protect Yourself Against Criminals Using Your Personal Information

The term "identity theft" has come to mean many things over the past few years. One common meaning that is universal for identity theft is that it is bad news and can mean serious problems for the victim. That is why it is so important for consumers and users of the Internet to do everything possible to avoid having their identity stolen from criminal activity using the Internet or other means such as "dumpster diving" or driver's license scams.

There are many types of identity theft going on and all of them are bad. Your computer is a favourite hunting ground for criminals looking for information which will allow them to access your private life, including credit cards, bank accounts, mail and other private information which will allow them to profit from knowing your personal information.

This is why you want to learn to protect your personal information and not allow it to be stolen by others.

When you define identity theft you are talking about any information that allows others to profit from knowing something about you. Your address, phone number, pass words, bank accounts, credit cards, social security number, and place of employment are examples of information that can be used by criminals to profit by illegal means using your identity information.

Statistics are showing that every year computer crime and identity theft is growing and costing victims, money, time, and energy to have it fixed and repaired. The prevention of identity theft is also big business. Companies with legitimate products and services to market on the Internet are spending millions of dollars to protect consumers.

Law enforcement agencies and the FTC are also spending millions of dollars to investigate and bring criminals to justice who violate the laws concerning identity theft through the Internet. This all translates to higher costs for the real consumer for products and services that they buy and purchase.

Much of the online identity theft is based on emails and links taking unsuspecting users to phony web sites. This is called phishing. While at the criminal's web site you may provide the criminal with personal data that opens up the door for them to gain access to your personal accounts and profit from them.

As a consumer you need to be very cautious about giving away any personal information to a site you do not recognize or trust. Use software that can detect spam, adware, and malware to protect yourself against these sites.

Criminals think nothing about stealing trademarks and using what you believe to be legitimate sites to steal your information. Often these sites will look very realistic. Remember to use common sense and to use caution when giving out personal information.