What is the difference between identity theft and credit card fraud?

Identity theft and credit card fraud are distinct forms of criminal activity that involve abusing the personally identifying information (PII) of an individual. Identity theft is the taking of another person’s PII such as their Social Security number, driver’s license, or financial account numbers for criminal gain. Credit card fraud is a related form of identity theft, but is focused on taking a person’s credit card account information for personal gain. The difference between identity theft and credit card fraud is that identity theft involves the theft of a person’s PII for criminal gain, while credit card fraud involves the theft of a person’s credit card account information for personal gain. In Illinois, identity theft is a Class 4 felony and carries a prison sentence of 1-3 years, while credit card fraud is considered a Class 3 felony and carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years. The penalties for identity theft and credit card fraud in Illinois are harsh and can cause serious financial hardship. Therefore, it is important for individuals to safeguard their PII by not leaving personal information on the Internet, being careful about who they give their personal information to, and regularly checking their credit report for any suspicious activity. In addition, individuals can protect themselves against identity theft and credit card fraud by regularly monitoring their banking statements and credit card accounts for any suspicious transactions.

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What is the difference between identity theft and credit card fraud?

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