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
Court records identify the man only by his first name, where he is listed as an identity theft victim in the criminal case.
—
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Users who pay $9.99 per month will get access to a VPN that uses the open-source WireGuard protocol, on-device personal information removal, and 24/7 identity theft restoration.
—Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Police arrested Woods and charged him with identity theft and false impersonation.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Be forewarned that applying for a free credit check from less reputable providers can be an invitation to identity theft.
—Becky Batcha and Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
This guidance is key for securing online transactions and customer data, which is foundational in building trust and safeguarding against identity theft and fraud.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
But as these tools proliferate, those with a more modest social media presence are facing a similar type of identity theft — finding their faces and words twisted by AI to push often offensive products and ideas.
—Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the dispute process and litigation where necessary, our attorneys safeguard consumers from erroneous information, including not only identity theft (i.e., unrecognized accounts on consumers’ credit reports) but also errors in payment history on legitimate accounts.
—Adam Singer, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
In the Oakland County mail theft and identity theft case, four men were sentenced — Deavon Allen, Cole Patrick Castelow, Malik Frazier, and Ronald Reese — by U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2023 and 2024.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Users who pay $9.99 per month will get access to a VPN that uses the open-source WireGuard protocol, on-device personal information removal, and 24/7 identity theft restoration.
—Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Police arrested Woods and charged him with identity theft and false impersonation.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Be forewarned that applying for a free credit check from less reputable providers can be an invitation to identity theft.
—Becky Batcha and Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
This guidance is key for securing online transactions and customer data, which is foundational in building trust and safeguarding against identity theft and fraud.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
But as these tools proliferate, those with a more modest social media presence are facing a similar type of identity theft — finding their faces and words twisted by AI to push often offensive products and ideas.
—Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the dispute process and litigation where necessary, our attorneys safeguard consumers from erroneous information, including not only identity theft (i.e., unrecognized accounts on consumers’ credit reports) but also errors in payment history on legitimate accounts.
—Adam Singer, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
In the Oakland County mail theft and identity theft case, four men were sentenced — Deavon Allen, Cole Patrick Castelow, Malik Frazier, and Ronald Reese — by U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2023 and 2024.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
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 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Legal Definition
identity theft
see theft
More from Merriam-Webster on identity theft
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about identity theft
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share