Identity Theft--What Is It?

At its simplest, identity theft is any effort to use someone else's name or personal information without that person's knowledge or approval. Although the crime of identity theft bas become one of the hottest topics of the day, especially for internet users, it is nothing new and can be perpetrated upon people who do not even own a computer or know much more than how to turn on the one they do have.

Any expert in the field will be quick to say that many people do not realize how simple it can be for even the most elementary thief to acquire their personal information and use it illegally. These days, most people associate identity theft with hackers who steal information off a computer. But identity thieves can gain access to your personal information simply by stealing junk mail out of a mailbox or trash can, or by looking over your shoulder when you are punching in a password at an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) or a calling card number in a telephone.

Basics

The first thing to remember about identity theft is that any personal information that can be collected can be used to impersonate someone. That includes a telephone number and address in a phone book, records stored at the Department of Motor Vehicles, or any letters mailed to the house. This is one of the reasons some people have unlisted telephone numbers.

Any information passed on to someone on the phone can be used for identity theft if the person asking the questions is lying about who they really are. This is one form of what has come to be known as "social engineering." What it really means is tricking someone to reveal personal details. Another low-tech way to steal personal information is called "dumpster diving," and it means exactly that – sifting through someone's trash. That is the main reason paper shredders are moving up the list of popular Christmas gifts.

Internet

Although social engineering and dumpster diving both require some legwork on the part of the identity thief, the internet has meant that the crooks do not have to leave the comfort of their homes in order to steal data. Many companies legally, though controversially, use so-called "adware" and "spyware" to track one’s computer activities, but thieves employ similar tactics.

Another form of identity theft can come from "phishing" expeditions. Phishing scams are malicious programs that trick computers and their users to believe an attempt to contact their computer through the internet is for a legitimate purpose or from a trusted source, such as their bank. Since 1998 all these efforts violate Federal law and are considered to be felonies.