Identity theft refers to the act of accessing and acquiring elements of another person’s identity (i.e. name, date of birth, billing address, etc.) in order to commit identity fraud. Identity theft can take place whether the victim is alive or deceased. Once a person’s identity data is obtained, the data can be monetized by gaining access to their accounts, stealing their resources or obtaining their credit and other benefits. Identity theft (in combination with, and often used interchangeably with, identity fraud) is one of the fastest-growing crimes globally. A criminal can also use stolen identity information to hijack a consumer accounts, commonly referred to as “account takeover”.
