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Synthetic Identity Theft — What It Is and How to Protect Yourself
Synthetic identity theft combines real personal information — typically a real Social Security number — with fabricated details to create a new, fake identity used to open credit accounts and commit fraud.
The real personal information used in synthetic identities often comes from data broker profiles — which is why reducing your broker footprint protects against this fraud type.
How Synthetic Identity Fraud Uses Real Data
Fraudsters often target individuals who are less likely to notice unauthorized credit activity: children, elderly individuals, and people with thin credit files. They use a real person's SSN (obtained from a breach or dark web purchase) combined with a different name and fabricated details to create a synthetic identity.
The real SSN holder typically does not discover the fraud until years later, when they apply for credit and find an existing credit file.
Dark Web Monitoring + Broker Exposure Reduction
CypherAvoid monitors dark web sources for your email and associated credential data, which can indicate SSN exposure risk. Combined with data broker profile removal, this reduces the complete identity package available for synthetic identity fraud.
Run Exposure Scan
Start with a free scan — no account required. Pricing only appears if you choose Lifetime Protection.