What describes identity theft?

• A. The fraudulent acquisition and use of a person's private identifying information without their permission.
• B. The use of someone else's social media accounts
• C. A type of credit card fraud
• D. A data breach

Answer: (A)

Identity theft is the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person’s private identifying information without their permission. This means someone secretly steals details like a Social Security number, bank or credit card information, or other personal identifiers and then uses them to impersonate the person, often to open accounts, apply for credit, or make purchases in the victim’s name. That combination—getting the information without permission and using it to commit fraud—is what makes this the best description.

Other options touch related ideas but aren’t the full definition. Using someone’s social media accounts involves unauthorized access, but it doesn’t necessarily involve stealing and misusing private identifying information. A data breach is an incident where data is exposed, which can enable identity theft, but it’s the event, not the act of stealing and using someone’s identity. And a type of credit card fraud is a specific method of stealing funds or charges, not the broader act of stealing someone’s identifying information and abusing it.