What is identity theft and how can I protect myself against it?

Identity theft is a crime in which criminals come into possession of personal details such as name, address, date of birth, and personal identification numbers in order to obtain financial advantage using somebody else's details.

Identity theft crime is growing on popularity amongst online fraudsters, who use malicious software such as spyware to obtain personal details of their victims.

To provide better protection against online identity theft users are advised to have installed an anti-spyware and anti-virus software programs at all times and not to login into suspicious Websites that would require providing confidential information.