There’s a new form of identity theft that’s rapidly becoming known to law enforcement, institutions and victims. This is synthetic identity theft. In this form of fraud, the criminal doesn’t steal your name; instead, he creates a new, fake identity. If the identity is fake, can it harm you? The answer is yes. In fact, it can be even worse for you.

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Your cell phone is a common target for identity thieves on three fronts. First, a modern phone can contain an incredible amount of personal information such as names, numbers and addresses. Second, cell phone accounts can themselves be targets for fraud. Your cellular plan is based on your good name, so it can be abused to acquire new phones and services. Finally, criminals can use the phone to contact people you know while pretending to be you. They normally do this to get enough of your personal information to complete a larger identity theft scam. Whether it’s a bad loan or a massive phone bill, an identity thief can use your phone to put you on the hook for a huge amount of money.

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Phishing is an email scam designed to enable identity theft. A phishing email is a fraudulent request for personal information. The phisher usually claims to represent a well-known financial institution or other corporation. The email says it needs your password, Social Security number and a host of other items – usually enough to get credit cards in your name or in some cases rip money right out of existing accounts.

A good phishing email is hard to detect but many of them have telltale signs that give them away. Here are five suspicious things to look out for.

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