identity theft

noun

: the illegal use of someone else's personal information (such as a Social Security number) especially in order to obtain money or credit

Examples of identity theft in a Sentence

How can we protect ourselves against identity theft?
Recent Examples on the Web
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The agency also suggests placing a free one-year fraud alert on one's credit report with the three big credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — and reporting the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Greg Iacurci,kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026 Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing. Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026 Fifty-nine people were arrested on suspicion of identity theft, which, depending on the amount of money involved, can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 She was acquitted of an additional count of criminal impersonation, a charge of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and an identity theft charge. Austen Erblat, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for identity theft

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of identity theft was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Identity theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20theft. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Legal Definition

identity theft

see also:

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