High School
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Why Identity Theft Matters to Teens
One young person joked saying, "I don't need to worry about identity theft because no one wants to be me!" However, the reality is that identity theft matters to teens because it can happen to them, too. Identity theft is a serious crime that can affect anyone.
Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal information to commit crimes. Personal information can refer to a person's name, a Social Security number, or credit card numbers. Millions of people become victims of identity theft each year, and it is one of the fastest-rising crimes in America. It sometimes only takes a few seconds for someone to steal another person's personal information, and this often happens online.
Identity theft might seem as if it could only happen to adults with big bank balances or many valuable assets like a home. However, identity theft also happens to teens. You might not think anyone would be interested in your bank account because you have a balance of $15.42. Yet, someone else could still use your personal information to go into debt taking out loans or opening accounts.
