Some even disclose it to identity thieves for a price. Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your identity. In these kinds of scams, scam artists try to get you to disclose valuable personal data-like credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information-by convincing you to provide it under false pretenses such as through the internet. Notorious criminals gaining control over important data of checking accounts, credit cards, social security, telephone numbers, passwords to either website or bank accounts, certainly will create havoc. Aside from using influence over one s name thru purported deceptions, he will continue committing bad actions under one s name to destroy long-established good reputation. It's easy enough if the criminals who commit identity theft will make purchases on your existing credit cards and such. You can easily check your existing credit cards and see fraudulent purchases. What about checking the accounts that you don't know about? Identity thefts may open new accounts for mobile phones, credit cards and even make larger purchases like buying an apartment and you won't know it unless the credit collectors finally trace the bills back to you after the perpetrators run off with the bills. Always be aware that everybody in cyber is virtually having his own setting for whatever purpose it takes him. The Web is wide open for any kind of good or bad biz intent as almost everybody depicts a persona of anybody, or anything else. The only sure bet to free oneself of these online deceptions is to protect your site by using security measures like installing anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware compatible to every platforms that will block your computer from unexpected intrusion. One should be able to know the signs if someone has already stolen his or her identity. One sign would be finding discrepancies on your credit records. If you have found out that you have charges on your credit card that you haven t known about, chances are that someone has been using your credit card. A thief using someone else s identity is obviously doing it for unwarranted squandering of assets and financial savings for whatever selfish purpose it will serve him. Is security in the online world hopeless? A high caliber business company will always protect the interests of its customers. Though identity theft cases left many victims alone, hurdling to claim innocence, companies never stop finding security alternatives even to the point of hiring reputable hackers themselves to help them with their system loopholes.