What type of ecommerce fraud involves the theft of personal information to make unauthorized purchases?

The correct answer, identity fraud, specifically refers to scenarios where personal information is stolen and then used to perform unauthorized transactions or purchases. This type of fraud typically occurs when an individual’s sensitive information, such as social security numbers, credit card details, or other personal identifiers, is compromised and misused.

Identity fraud can encompass a range of deceptive activities aimed at a financial gain, where the fraudster impersonates the victim in order to conduct transactions without their consent. By acquiring personal data, the perpetrator can create accounts, make purchases, or otherwise mishandle the victim’s financial resources.

In contrast, identity theft often refers to the initial act of stealing personal information itself, which can lead to fraud but isn’t necessarily the act of making unauthorized purchases. Online scams can involve various deceptive practices but are not specifically focused on the unauthorized use of someone else's identity. Phishing is typically the method used to collect personal data through deceptive emails or websites but does not inherently involve the subsequent unauthorized purchases that define identity fraud.

Thus, identity fraud is the most precise term describing the act of misusing stolen personal information to conduct unauthorized financial transactions.