Identity theft
Identity Theft
Identity theft (pronounced: /aɪˈdɛntɪti θɛft/) is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as Social Security Numbers and driver's license numbers to impersonate someone else. The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise, and services in the name of the victim, or to provide the thief with false credentials.
Etymology
The term "identity theft" was coined in 1964 and has gained popularity ever since due to the rise in such crimes. The term "identity" comes from the Latin word 'identitas', which means 'sameness', and 'theft' is derived from the Old English 'þeof', which means 'thief'.
Related Terms
- Phishing: The fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
- Credit Card Fraud: An illegal practice which involves unauthorized use of another person's card information to make purchases or withdraw cash without the owner's consent.
- Social Engineering: A method of tricking people into giving up confidential information or enabling unauthorized access to systems.
- Cybercrime: A crime that involves a computer and a network, often perpetrated from remote locations.
- Data Breach: An incident where information is stolen or taken from a system without the knowledge or authorization of the system's owner.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Identity theft
- Wikipedia's article - Identity theft
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