Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information, such as your social security number, credit card details, or other sensitive data, to commit fraud or other crimes in your name.

There are various types of identity theft, including financial identity theft (using someone’s financial information for fraudulent purposes), medical identity theft (using someone’s medical information to receive treatment or prescriptions), and criminal identity theft (committing crimes using someone else’s identity).

To protect yourself against identity theft, you can safeguard your personal information by shredding documents containing sensitive data, using strong and unique passwords for online accounts, monitoring your financial statements regularly, and being cautious when sharing personal information online or over the phone.

If you suspect that you have become a victim of identity theft, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the incident, place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and monitor your accounts closely for any suspicious activity. It’s also important to report the theft to local law enforcement and consider freezing your credit to prevent further unauthorized activity.