About Identity Theft

Identity theft is when an unauthorized person—either a stranger or someone you know—uses your personal information or an existing account to commit fraud. The fraud usually involves making purchases of goods and/or services under an assumed identity—which could be yours. Most people assume identity theft occurs when criminals hack into databases and steal information. While that definitely does happen, many identity thieves obtain the information they need to steal your identity through very low-tech means—sifting through your garbage for example. It is important to shred anything that includes personally identifying information on it before throwing it away. This includes anything with your Social Security number, credit card or bank account numbers, and your date of birth on it. To learn more about what identity theft is and identity theft protection, visit FirstGov for Consumers at www.consumer.gov, and look for the identity theft link on the homepage.