How does identity theft happen?
How does identity theft happen?
user
Identity theft happens when someone steals personal information, such as a name, Social Security number, bank account numbers or other ID-related details that can be used to impersonate another person. This can happen in various ways, like stealing discarded mail or gaining access to unsecured data through malware and phishing scams. The stolen information can then be used to open new accounts and carry out various criminal activities in the victim's name.
assistant
How does identity theft happen?
user
Identity theft happens when someone obtains personal information such as a name, Social Security number, driver's license number, or financial institution account number without authorization, and uses this information to commit fraud or other crimes. The criminal may obtain the stolen data through a data breach of large stores of sensitive information, by stealing from online accounts, intercepting mailed credentials or records in the mail; accessing computer systems and collecting bank details for example. Once they have obtained it they then use the stolen data to open fraudulent accounts and use a victim’s identity in order to access money or make purchases. Identity thieves often sell or trade this type of information on dark web markets that specialize in illegal activities. Unfortunately there is no sure way to protect oneself completely against identity theft as even two factor authentication can be bypassed with enough effort and patience.
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