Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country today. It doesn’t just happen if your credit card gets stolen and you end up with fraudulent charges on your account.

When you apply for a credit card, the credit card company uses your credit score and the information in your credit report to decide whether or not to approve your application. Your credit report contains information about your current debt load, your history of repaying past loans, and whether or not you have ever defaulted on payment of bills, credit cards, or any other kind of loan payment.