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

The warning signs of identity theft can be easy to miss, especially when fraudulent activity happens outside your primary financial accounts. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

This may seem like the set-up for a story about identity theft, but in fact, this was a woman preparing to give me a very thorough reading. — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

According to Fulton County jail records, New has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026

But even if there is nothing important in an account, it can still be used by hackers for identity theft, spam or fraudulent activities. — Jenny Tang, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for identity theft

• bereft
• cleft
• deft
• heft
• left

Legal Definition

identity theft

see also:

theft