Identity Theft

Identity theft is a crime in which an attacker uses fraud or deception to obtain personal or sensitive information from a victim and misuses it to act in the victim’s name. Usually, perpetrators of such crime are motivated by their own economic gain.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is a crime in which an attacker uses fraud or deception to obtain personal or sensitive information from a victim and misuses it to act in the victim’s name. Usually, perpetrators of such crime are motivated by their own economic gain.

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4 min read

Reading time icon

4 min read

What is identity theft?

Identity thieves usually obtain personal information such as passwords, ID numbers, credit card numbers or social security numbers, and misuse them to act fraudulently in the victim’s name. These sensitive details can be used for various illegal purposes including applying for loans, making online purchases, or accessing victim’s medical and financial data.

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How does it work?

Identity theft is closely linked to phishing and other social engineering techniques that are often used to pry sensitive information from the victim. Public profiles on social networks or other popular online services can also be used as the source of data, helping criminals to impersonate their targets.

When identity thieves have collected such information, they can use it to order goods, take over the victims’ online accounts or take legal action in their name. In the short term, affected individuals can suffer financial loss due to unauthorized withdrawals and purchases made in their names.

In the mid-term, victims might be held responsible for the perpetrators' actions and be investigated by law enforcement agencies as well as facing consequences such as legal charges, change in their credit status as well as damage to their good names.

According to a 2017 Identity Fraud Study, in 2016 identity theft caused $16 billion in damages to 15.4 million consumers in the United States alone. In the same year, UK fraud prevention organization Cifas documented almost 173,000 cases of identity fraud in the UK, the highest level since they began keeping records 13 years ago.

 

In the mid-term, victims might be held responsible for the perpetrators' actions and be investigated by law enforcement agencies as well as facing consequences such as legal charges, change in their credit status as well as damage to their good names.

According to a 2017 Identity Fraud Study, in 2016 identity theft caused $16 billion in damages to 15.4 million consumers in the United States alone. In the same year, UK fraud prevention organization Cifas documented almost 173,000 cases of identity fraud in the UK, the highest level since they began keeping records 13 years ago.

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How to protect yourself from identity theft

  • Secure your connection: If you are going to use your personal information online, make sure you do so only when your connection is secure – preferably via home or corporate network or cellular data. If possible, avoid public Wi-Fi with no password protection. Should you have no other choice, use a virtual private network (VPN) that will encrypt all your communication and thus protect you from eavesdropping criminals.
  • Keep your devices secure: Protect your laptop, smartphone and tablet from malicious software and attackers by using a reliable, multi-layered, up-to-date security solution.

ESET protects you against identity theft

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Phishing

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Firewall

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Malware