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
In April, Ashley was arrested and charged with robbery, grand larceny, petit larceny and identity theft for four incidents from October 2021 to August 2022, including the May 2022 encounter, which was linked to the broader crime scheme, according to prosecutors.
—
Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
And people being unable to detect synthetic faces, in general, may lead to fraud or identity theft.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
For most people, the idea of identity theft conjures images of anonymous, shady hackers.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2023
All-encompassing Encryption In a world where cyber threats are ever-evolving and data breaches are a constant concern, encrypted data acts as a shield against unauthorized access, identity theft, and other cybercrimes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
Use identity theft protection: Identity theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, SSN, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web, which RansomedVC claims to be doing.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2023
One remote swipe of my credit cards, debit cards, or mobile devices — from 30 feet away or more — and my trip can take a sharp detour into identity theft.
—Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2023
After a data breach, your info can be shared and sold on the dark Web or used for identity theft.
—Lauren Krouse, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
According to its website, Brigit has more than 4 million users and offers a range of services, including credit building, identity theft protection and expenditure tracking.
—Rivan Stinson, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
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Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
And people being unable to detect synthetic faces, in general, may lead to fraud or identity theft.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
For most people, the idea of identity theft conjures images of anonymous, shady hackers.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2023
All-encompassing Encryption In a world where cyber threats are ever-evolving and data breaches are a constant concern, encrypted data acts as a shield against unauthorized access, identity theft, and other cybercrimes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
Use identity theft protection: Identity theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, SSN, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web, which RansomedVC claims to be doing.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2023
One remote swipe of my credit cards, debit cards, or mobile devices — from 30 feet away or more — and my trip can take a sharp detour into identity theft.
—Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2023
After a data breach, your info can be shared and sold on the dark Web or used for identity theft.
—Lauren Krouse, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
According to its website, Brigit has more than 4 million users and offers a range of services, including credit building, identity theft protection and expenditure tracking.
—Rivan Stinson, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'identity theft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1964, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near identity theft
Cite this Entry
“Identity theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20theft. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Legal Definition
identity theft
see theft
More from Merriam-Webster on identity theft
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about identity theft
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