What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is when someone pretends to be another person and commits a crime. But it doesn’t mean they put on a wig and change their voice. Thieves take your personal information and use it to spend your money, apply for loans, file a tax return, charge debts, and more.

Getting your identity stolen can lower your credit score and cost you money. It’s also a hard and scary thing to go through! There are things you can do to fix it, but it’s best to stop it before it happens.

Thieves use your information to steal your identity. That includes your birthday, address, social security number, account numbers, and more. When in doubt, keep it secret. Only share information with people you trust 100% (like your parents) and, ideally, only in person.

Other tips to keep your identity safe:

• Choose unique PINs (personal identification numbers) and passwords
• Tear up written information before you throw it away
• Only buy from online stores you trust

Tons of information is shared online, which makes it a playground for identity theft. Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to keep yourself safe.

Don’t click on surprise or unknown links. If you do, it could download viruses. Viruses can steal your information. Links can also be phishing attempts. This is when a thief pretends to be someone or something they aren’t to get you to tell them something. You may think you’re logging into a website you know, sending something to a friend, or downloading a fun game, but really you’re giving information to a scammer.

Online shopping is easy and fun, but it can also be dangerous. Thieves can steal your card or account information. Whenever you buy things from the internet, check for an SSL certificate. You do this by looking for a lock symbol and "https" in the address bar. This means that the information on the site is encrypted and extra hard for thieves to steal.

Accidents happen and thieves are sneaky. Keeping an eye out will help you know if your identity gets stolen. One sign of identity theft is getting bills for things you didn’t buy. You may also get emails or notifications of new accounts or changes to your accounts you didn’t make. These are all signs your identity has been stolen (or someone is trying to steal your identity).

If that happens, tell a trusted adult. They can reach out to banks or credit unions, credit card companies, and any other financial institutions that are impacted. Next, you can visit Identitytheft.gov together. This site will walk you through how to report the theft and recover from it.