IDENTITY THEFT DEFINITION

For an official Identity Theft definition, I will quote from the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, 18 USC 1028(a)(7) which states: "Identity theft is a criminal offense that occurs when a person knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit or to aid or abet any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law."

A more simple Identity Theft definition is when an individual accesses, without your permission, your personal identifying information in order to use that information for their own financial benefit at your expense.

According to the United States Department of Justice, the terms "identity theft" and "identity fraud" refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, usually for economic gain. The recovery process from identity theft or identity fraud can be very stressful, time-consuming, and costly.

Identity thieves will use a victim's personal information to obtain money and/or merchandise, to open financial accounts, to obtain loans, to apply for mortagages, to file for bankruptcy, and many other criminal activities.

It can be difficult for some to realize the seriousness of identity theft. Some people claim that their credit is not good, so no one would bother trying to steal their identity. Others believe that because they do not use any, or few, credit cards, they are out of danger.

However, identity theft can happen by simply using your name, address, and social security number. Once a thief has a little bit of your personal information, he can cause big damage! And it can be a real mess to clean up, taking months or years, and costing hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. If a thief steals your identity and uses it for his personal gain, you will then realize, too late, why you should care.

Identity theft can simply begin with the misuse of a few pieces of your personal information. Those pieces of information are like nuggets of gold to identity thieves who are able to engage in all kinds of financial activities while using your identity, leaving you the bills to pay, questions to answer, and your innocence to prove.

Identity theft is a real danger, a growing crime affecting millions, and the best solution is awareness, understanding, and a proactive response to prevent it from happening!

I trust that the information and resources you will find on this site will be of great assistance to you in protecting yourself from the growing problem of identity theft.

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Identity Theft Definition

What is identity theft and why should you care?