According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting nearly 10 million people between 2010 and 2014. Further, the 2015 Identity Fraud Study released by Javelin Strategy & Research calculated that in 2014 there was a new identity fraud victim every two seconds.1

This crime occurs when a thief obtains confidential information — including passwords, personal ID numbers, Social Security numbers, or an account number used with a financial institution — and uses it to commit fraud. Identity thieves use a victim’s stolen information to open bank and brokerage accounts, run up bills for credit card purchases, obtain loans, and commit other forms of financial fraud.

Criminals obtain a victim’s personal information in a number of ways — both online and off. But as incidents of identity theft grows, so too does the arsenal of tools and sophistication level of techniques used to perpetrate the crimes.