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

Read more The best identity theft protection services Are data removal services worth it? — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

States also have laws against identity theft and criminal harassment. — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Join us for a free CyberGuy LIVE class covering five simple steps to help defend yourself against AI scams, fraud, identity theft and financial hacks. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Months later, the man pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor identity theft and was released from custody, time served. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 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