“Synthetic” identity theft is even scarier than the original

Traditionally, identity theft occurs when a thief gets hold of someone’s personal information and uses it to assume his or her identity to open accounts. With “synthetic ID theft,” the perpetrator creates a fictitious identity by combining real data, often from several individuals, with fabricated information. The fraudster then uses this Frankenstein monster type of ID theft to apply for credit. Synthetic ID theft is growing fast, in part because all a thief needs is a Social Security number. To prevent these bloodsuckers from damaging your credit, protect your personal data and regularly review your credit reports.