Identity Theft Glossary

Antispyware – software that helps you keep spyware off your computer system. Typically not freeware.

Antivirus – software that keeps viruses from infecting your personal computer. The program will periodically scan hard drives to find trojans and viruses and it normally deletes or quarantines them and then immunizes your system to prevent the same type of virus from infecting your system again.

Check Washing – This is a process in which an identity thief gets a hold of one of your written checks and dissolves the pen ink on it by dipping the check into a chemical solution containing acetone. Once the ink is disolved, the thief can rewrite the check for any amount, make it out to himself and cash it.

Credit Monitoring Alert – A basic line of defense that can detect illegal or unauthorized activity with your credit accounts and alert the victim before any significant damage can occur.

Credit Report Freeze – Locks down a person’s credit report so that no further accounts can be opened.

Data Breach – an unintended disclosure of information by an institution that handles the personal information of their subscribers or members. Often the data breaches are caused by experienced hackers who exploit vulnerabilities within the private computer networks of these institutions. In other cases employees of these institutions may purposely provide this information to others for money.

Dumpster Diving – some identity thieves are willing to dig through trash to find usable information they can use to exploit someone’s identity. This is still an effective method of identity theft since not everyone shreds paperwork that contains their personal data.

Fair Credit Reporting Act – a Federal law that gives consumers the right to dispute credit inaccuracies on their credit reports. The FCRA also makes it possible for everyone to get a free copy of their credit reports once a year from all three credit bureaus.

Firewall – a form of security barrier that keeps intrusion out of your computer system. Firewalls can be either software or hardware and it is normally placed in between the computer system and the internet, constantly scanning all incoming and outgoing traffic.

Fraud Alert – These are the types of alerts that are setup with the Credit Reporting Agencies when you have become the victim of identity theft. Fraud alerts are free and the purpose of setting up fraud alerts is to scrutinize the process of approving any application for credit submitted with your name and personal information. Any credit company processing your application must get a confirmation that it was you that submitted the application.

Identity Fraud – This is what happens when a transaction or credit is initiated in someone else’s name without their knowledge.

Identity Theft – This refers to the action of stealing someone else’s identity, in which normally their social security number, name and address are appropriated with the intent to exploit the information for financial gain. Identity theft usually causes serious problems for the victims.

Identity Theft Affidavit – This is a form that helps you report identity theft to many companies using the same document. The information you provide on the affidavit will help companies perform their investigations. The affidavit helps you simplify and formalize the process of reporting identity theft, but not all companies accept the affidavit some require more or other documentation.

Keyloggers – a type of spyware that silently installs on computer systems with the intent of recording key strokes while users are online. These programs can collect sensitive data like account login and password information which is the relayed to a server operated by the creator of the program.

Mail Fraud – typically occurs when identity thieves redirect your mail to another location by submitting a change of address postcard in your name. Mail fraud also includes simply taking mail from unlocked mail boxes. The federal government defines mail fraud as any act of tampering with or handling any piece of mail that does not belong to you. By getting a hold of someone else’s mail a thief can gain a lot of information about a person’s finances if their bills and bank statements are taken.

Medical Identity Theft – it’s what happens when someone uses your name and social security number to get medical benefit under Medicare or Medicaid or through your own health care provider. This causes not only financial problems for the victims but it can often put their lives at risk since their medical histories can be altered and they could end up with the wrong diagnosis.

Opt Out – Notifying financial institutions, credit reporting agencies and other merchants who trade your information for profit, that you no longer want your information to be released. This is a right extended to all by federal law and although these institutions do not make it easy to opt out it is a necessary step in protecting your identity.

Phishing – often what occurs when a perpetrator attempts to collect key information such as credit card security codes and online banking passwords by tricking the victim into volunteering the information by pretending to be calling from a legitimate financial organization. Phishing normally occurs via email and phone and normally the thieves already know some information about the victim.

Skimming – skimmers are small devices that are used to swipe and read credit cards, these crimes can be done by clerks at gas stations, restaurants, or any other place where you may need to hand someone your card.

Social Engineering – Another term for phishing. A method in which identity thieves use email and make phone calls pretending to be legitimate sources in order to formally obtain information from unsuspecting victims. The purpose is to lead victims to volunteer information by presenting a message that will cause a sense of urgency and a consequence if action is not taken by the victim, typically by verifying information.

Spam – unsolicited email messages received by most everyone who owns an email account, particularly with web mail services. Spam emails often contain viruses and malware that can infect personal computers and often run silently as background processes so the victims never realize what’s going on.

Spoofing – email addresses, websites and IP addresses can be spoofed, meaning that they can be replicated by identity thieves in order to trick victims into thinking that they are from legitimate sources to get them to voluntarily render personal information.

Spyware – a type of program that infects computer systems with the intent of collecting user information such as online activity and key stroke information. Spyware programs also look for security holes and trigger the downloading of other applications like viruses that can cause more severe damage.

Tombstoning – the practice of using the names and other sensitive information of deceased persons to gain approval for credit, loans etc.

Web Page Spoofing – the practice of directing users to illegal websites that are made to look like legitimate financial or credit institutions where a user enters their information and it is then collected by identity thieves.

Identity Theft FAQs