NGPF Activity Bank

Consumer Skills
Spanish version

COMPARE: Types of Identity Theft

Identity theft affects millions of people in the U.S. and can sometimes have a devastating financial
and emotional impact on its victims. Being aware of the ways in which identity theft can occur
and knowing what steps you can take to protect your information is essential to avoiding being a
victim of identity theft.

In this activity, you will conduct research on different types of identity theft and how they occur.
Then, you’ll learn more about how you can protect your personal information.

Part I: Types of Identity Theft

1. Conduct research online to fill out the table below for each type of identity theft listed.

Type of Identity How can this type of

Description
Theft ID theft occur?
Thieves use your Social Security number to Stolen mail, stolen purse or
apply for credit, file taxes, or even get a job wallet, data breaches, or
Social Security phishing scams are common
Identity Theft ways that thieves can obtain your
Social Security number

An identity thief uses your Social Security
number to file a tax return and claim a
Tax Identity Theft refund
Tax-related identity theft can
occur when a thief files a
fraudulent tax return using your
personal information before you
have a chance to file

An identity thief gains access to your health
insurance and uses your personal
Medical Identity Theft information to get medical care,
prescriptions, or submit fake claims
Medical identity theft can occur
when a thief steals your medical
insurance card, accesses your
personal information through a
healthcare provider's data
breach, or impersonates you to
get medical care

An identity thief uses your personal Employment identity theft can

information to gain employment, often for occur when a thief uses your
Employment Identity under-the-table or illegal jobs personal information to apply for
Theft a job and receives a paycheck,
often without your knowledge
 An identity thief uses a child's personal Child identity theft can occur when a
information to open credit cards, apply for loans, thief gains access to a child's
or file tax returns personal information through a data
Child Identity Theft breach, stolen wallet, or stolen mail

An identity thief uses your personal information to
commit crimes, leaving you with legal issues
Criminal Identity Theft
Criminal identity theft can occur when
a thief gives your personal
information to the police during an
arrest or when a thief impersonates
you to avoid legal consequences

Part II: Reflection

2. While you can’t guarantee that you will never be targeted for identity theft, there are many
steps you can take to protect your personal information to minimize the chances of having
your identity stolen. Name at least 2 possible actions you can take to prevent having your
identity stolen.
Be cautious about sharing personal information on social media or with strangers,
regularly check your credit reports for any unauthorized activity or accounts

3. What challenges do you anticipate in implementing some of the above steps? Explain.
It may be challenging to limit the amount of personal information shared online,
especially when participating in social media or online activities