The sudden surge of online businesses has caused several incidences of identity theft. The Internet is a very huge community where almost everyone participates by providing personal and financial information to get items and services. Online transactions are more convenient than the traditional way of buying or selling merchandise. It saves time and effort. However, it also increases the risk for identity theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully uses another person’s information to take on that person’s identity and gain something out of it. It is also referred to as identity fraud. One has to know that taking on another person’s identity is a crime; it is more than the simple misuse of social security or any other personal data.