The best definition of identity theft is:

• A. Stealing mail to obtain a new credit card
• B. Using identifying information about someone else in order to perpetrate a fraud
• C. Opening a joint account without consent
• D. Creating a fake identity with fictitious data

Answer: (B)

Identity theft means using someone else’s identifying information to commit fraud. The defining feature is the misuse of another person’s personal data—like a name, Social Security number, or account details—to obtain money, goods, or services or to commit other crimes in the victim’s name. The option that states using identifying information about someone else to perpetrate a fraud best captures this idea. Other choices describe how information is obtained (such as stealing mail), or describe specific acts that could be part of identity theft but aren’t the general definition (like opening a joint account without consent or creating a fake identity). In short, the essence is using someone else’s data to defraud.