Identity Theft Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Nora stops receiving expected financial statements and then notices an unauthorized address change. What should she do?
Contact the institution through a trusted channel and investigate the address change and account activity
Send identifying documents to the address shown in an unsolicited email
Wait for another billing cycle before checking her account
Assume the institution has permanently stopped sending statements
2. After one online service is breached, someone accesses several of Maya’s other accounts using the same email address and password. Which habit would have most directly limited this chain of access?
Changing every password on the same predictable schedule
Using a distinct password for each account and enabling multifactor authentication where available
Saving the shared password in a document with an ordinary filename
Choosing security questions whose answers appear on social media
3. A company confirms that information connected to your account was exposed in a breach. What is the best general response?
Close every financial account regardless of what information was exposed
Ignore the notice unless money has already disappeared
Use the contact link in any follow-up message claiming to offer compensation
Confirm the notice independently, identify what was exposed, secure affected accounts, and consider monitoring or a credit freeze as appropriate
4. How does a fraud alert generally differ from a credit freeze?
A fraud alert blocks existing card purchases, while a freeze cancels bank accounts
A fraud alert asks creditors to take extra verification steps, while a freeze restricts access to the credit file
A fraud alert deletes fraudulent debts automatically, while a freeze only disputes them
A fraud alert is used only after a conviction, while a freeze is used only before fraud
5. What does account takeover mean?
An unauthorized person gains control of an existing account
A company legally transfers a customer account during a merger
A customer closes one account and opens another
A creditor requests updated contact information from an account holder
6. Which description best defines identity theft?
Disagreeing with a company about a legitimate charge or contract
Learning publicly available facts about someone before contacting them
Receiving advertising based on general demographic information
Using another person’s identifying information without permission, commonly for fraud or other misuse
7. What is synthetic identity theft?
Creating a false identity by combining real identifying information with fabricated details
Making a physical copy of an identification document for its owner
Using an alias on a social platform without attempting fraud
Entering an incorrect address on a form by accident
8. Which situation could be a warning sign that a child’s identity information has been misused?
The child receives an age-appropriate invitation from a school
A credit or collection notice refers to an account the family did not open for the child
A relative opens a savings account for the child with proper authorization
A healthcare provider asks a guardian to confirm contact information
9. What does placing a credit freeze generally do?
Removes accurate payment history from a credit report
Prevents existing lenders from collecting payments
Guarantees reimbursement for every form of identity fraud
Restricts access to a credit file, making fraudulent new-credit applications harder
10. You discover that your wallet containing payment cards and identification is missing. Which response best addresses the immediate risk?
Wait several days in case someone returns it before notifying anyone
Replace only the identification because cards require a PIN
Lock or report affected cards, notify issuers, and assess whether further identity protections are needed
Post the contents of the wallet online so others can help identify it
11. While reviewing a credit report, which finding is the clearest potential sign of identity misuse?
An accurate account showing a recently reported payment
A lender displaying a former business name
A score that differs from the one shown by another scoring model
A credit account you do not recognize and did not authorize
12. Leo receives a notice about a tax filing submitted under his identity, but he has not filed one. What is the most appropriate next step?
Submit a second return immediately without mentioning the disputed filing
Contact the tax authority through its official channel and follow its identity-misuse process
Pay any amount requested in the notice before checking whether it is genuine
Ask the sender to resolve the matter through a social-media message
13. A message claiming to be from your bank says your account will close today unless you enter login details through its link. What is the safest response?
Open the link but leave if the page asks for more than a password
Reply to the message and ask the sender to confirm your account number
Contact the bank independently using its official app, website, card, or statement
Forward the message to a friend and follow their opinion about it
14. A caller knows your full name and says they represent a government agency that needs your identification number immediately. How should you verify the request?
Trust the caller because knowing your name proves official access
Provide part of the number and ask the caller to supply the rest
End the call and contact the agency using independently located official information
Call back using only the number displayed by caller ID
15. What is social engineering in the context of identity theft?
Manipulating someone into revealing information or taking an unsafe action
Encrypting identifying information before it is transmitted
Comparing credit products through a legitimate marketplace
Correcting personal details held by a financial institution
16. Why is it useful to keep organized records while responding to identity theft?
Records automatically prevent further attempts to use the information
Records replace the need to notify affected institutions
They create a timeline of notices, disputes, reference numbers, and actions taken
They guarantee that every disputed transaction will be removed