When thieves steal your existing credit card information and reroute your bills after they run up a balance.

When thieves go searching through dumpsters, trash cans, recycling bins, and even trash heaps at the landfill to find personal information.

The federal agency that handles is the federal clearinghouse for complaints of identity theft.

Software or a hardware device that filters information coming in to your computer. 

Person who tries to break into your computer remotely to steal personal information, such as social security numbers.

When someone wrongfully acquires and uses someone’s personal identification, credit or account information.

Information such as your name, address, telephone number, birthday, Social Security number and passwords.

A form of identity theft when thieves create fake websites designed to look like a bank or online store and then trick people out of account or login information.

A scam in which an email is sent from someone posing as your bank or other legitimate business asking for personal information.

Using false pretenses to obtain personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.

A protocol used by secure websites that protects your personal information when making online purchases or entering your credit card information.

When a thief watches a person punch in a credit card number, debit card pin, or listens in on private conversations to get personal information.

The process of reading credit card information from the magnetic strip on a credit card through the use of an unauthorized scanning device.

Pretending to be an employer, loan officer or landlord to trick a person into revealing information.

Junk mail sent by advertisers that is sometimes used in identity theft scams.

Software installed on the victim’s computer, without their knowledge or consent, that monitors internet use, sends pop up ads, re-directs the computer to other sites, and tracks key strokes.