Identity Theft Definition

An Identity Theft definition in the Webster's New Millenium Dictionary is this:

- noun

- the stealing of a person's financial information, esp. credit cards and Social Security number, with the intention of using that data to commit fraud and create a phony persona

As descriptions go, that is pretty sparse, but it is a dictionary after all. ID theft and fraud can actually be very complicated both to commit, describe and escape. It is this complexity that offers the fraudster an opportunity.

A very large portion of the population have little or no idea how this type of crime is committed. This makes it easier for the criminal than might otherwise be the case. If you don't really know what something is, how do you defend against it?

This is complicated still further by the different types of frauds that can be committed.

All of this means that a firm and definitive identity theft definition is difficult to offer. Therefore, instead of trying, and probably failing, to describe these crimes in a few sentences, we are devoting a number of pages of the site to descriptions. This will allow much greater explanation and hopefully enable you, our readers to understand what you might be up against more fully.

It might be most useful if this discussion is started with a look at identity theft history or identity theft basics

Click here to learn about bank identity theft

Read about the frightening and destructive power in America of meth identity thieves

Read about how immigrant or illegal workers use the identification of other people to commit identity theft tax fraud

Learn how a professional would commit credit card identity theft and how incredibly damaging it would be to a victim

Learn how new rules in the UK put everyone's telephone privacy at risk.