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The term identity theft was coined in 1964. [1] Since that time, the definition of identity theft has been legally defined throughout both the U.K. and the U.S. as the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits.
Identity theft is a major problem. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there were more than 650,000 victims of identity theft in 2019, making ID theft the most-reported type of FTC ...
The Identity Theft Resource Center said there were 662 data breaches in the United States in 2010, almost a 33% increase from the previous year. [19] Between January, 2015 and September, 2017, the Identity Theft Resource Center estimates that there were 7,920 breaches affecting more than one billion records that could lead to identity theft. [18]
Identity theft is the unauthorized use of another's personal or financial information to defraud an individual or entity into obtaining goods or services. The term 'personal or financial information,' typically refers to a person's name, address, credit card, bank account number, Social Security number, or medical insurance account number.
For most of us, the terms identity theft or fraud bring to mind fraudulent Web sites that try to phish for our personal information or viruses that send our sensitive data to a criminal.
Identity theft is a serious threat, but with awareness and proactive steps, you can significantly reduce your risk. Remember, criminals are constantly evolving their tactics, which means we must ...