identity fraud

With all the hackers in the headlines, you might be feeling more hesitant to offer up your credit card numbers while shopping online. Virtual credit card numbers offer one possible solution. But don't expect them to be infallible.

At least 16% of Americans have engaged in some kind of identity fraud -- lying about their Social Security number, name or birthday -- on applications for goods and services, a new study reveals. That's 45 million people trying to game the system, and every time one succeeds, he or she may be making trouble for you.

Identity thieves are claiming fewer victims, but those victims are spending a lot more time and money resolving the incidents, according to a survey by research firm Javelin Strategy & Research.

For most of us, the terms identity theft or fraud bring to mind fraudulent Web sites that try to phish for our personal information or viruses that send our sensitive data to a criminal. Surprisingly, a new study by Travelers Insurance revealed that the information gathering that makes identity...