text: is identity theft or info gathering for theft, occurring within the yahoo instant messenger community? specifically talking about a hacker/scam-artist that would be so bold as to communicate with you for a period of time, in order to gather as much info about you as they can. perhaps gathering information and selling it to an actual hacker or group of identity theft criminals. it is inevitable that criminals will steal anything that may be of use to them.this includes information about possible victims.they only know what you tell them.so don't discuss your innermost secrets on the internet and they will not find them out.  this does not mean that everybody is a crook.there are plenty of good folk on the net too,that will go out of their way to help people.