Information Security Research Institute/Newsletter/What is Identity Theft?

What is Identity Theft?

"About 1,400 times a day - or nearly once a minute - someone's identity is stolen" (Associated Press, 2001). Identity theft is the illegal use of personal identifying information such as name, address, Social Security number, driver's license number, or date of birth to commit fraud or theft (Federal Trade Commission, 2001).

If your identity is stolen, your imposter may:

Take over existing bank or credit card accounts,
Open new bank or credit card accounts in your name,
Obtain loans or a mortgage in your name,
File for bankruptcy,
Obtain cell phone or telephone services,
Commit crimes ranging from serious felonies to traffic tickets.

Identity thieves utilize a wide variety of methods for stealing personal identifying information. The most common methods are:

Stealing purses and wallets from vehicles or residences,
Stealing mail from unlocked mailboxes such as pre-approved credit card offers, bank statements, credit card statements, tax documents, telephone bills, or cell phone bills,
Diverting mail to another address by filing a change of address with the post office,
Dumpster diving (rummaging through trash at businesses, hospitals, and residences),
Stealing personal identifying information from records where they work,
Obtaining credit bureau reports under the guise of a legitimate creditor,
Hacking into Web sites on the Internet, and
Deceptive telephone or e-mail solicitation.

Material for this newsletter was obtained from the following sources:

Associated Press (2001). Social Security Seeks Protection. JS Online, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/ap/may01/ap-identity-theft052401.asp (22 August 2001).

Federal Trade Commission (2001). ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm (25 September 2001).

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