Which action is an example of identity theft?

• A. Stealing a person's checkbook and forging that person's signature on checks payable to you.
• B. Borrowing a friend's jacket without permission.
• C. Paying a bill online with proper authentication.
• D. Copying a magazine article for personal use.

Answer: (A)

Identity theft involves using someone else's personal information to commit fraud or unlawfully obtain money or goods. Stealing a person's checkbook and forging that person's signature on checks payable to you is a direct example because it uses the owner's banking information and identity to access funds and transfer them to yourself. The act relies on impersonating the account holder to defraud the bank or others, which is the essence of identity theft. The other actions don’t fit this pattern: borrowing a jacket is theft of property, not identity-based fraud; paying a bill online with proper authentication is authorized; and copying a magazine article is a copyright issue, not identity theft.