identity theft

noun

Definition of identity theft

: 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

On July 14, 2018, Sanchez, who was already more than eight months pregnant, was booked into the Denver County Jail on charges related to identity theft, KDVR reported. — Allyson Chiu, The Denver Post, "Woman gave birth alone in Denver County Jail after cries for help were ignored, lawsuit says," 29 Aug. 2019 Besides ransomware, cyber insurance frequently covers costs for claims related to data breaches, identity theft and electronic financial scams. — Ars Technica, "The Extortion Economy: Insurance companies and the rise in ransomware attacks," 27 Aug. 2019 Besides ransomware, cyber insurance frequently covers costs for claims related to data breaches, identity theft and electronic financial scams. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, "The Extortion Economy: How Insurance Companies Are Fueling a Rise in Ransomware Attacks," 27 Aug. 2019 The New York Times has reported that NASA astronaut Anne McClain’s former partner, Summer Worden, has accused her of committing identity theft from the International Space Station. — Tara Law, Time, "Divorcing Spouse Claims NASA Astronaut Committed Crime in Space: Report," 24 Aug. 2019 Explain how identity theft can happen and ways to keep the credit card information private. — Kim Porter, USA TODAY, "What parents need to know before sharing a credit card with their kids," 9 July 2019 But the level of blatant disregard here means thousands of MoviePass customers have been put at risk of fraud and identity theft. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Thousands of MoviePass customers’ credit card numbers were exposed online," 20 Aug. 2019 His criminal history includes convictions for domestic battery and identity theft. — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego’s Wanted: Absconding from work furlough," 8 Aug. 2019 Consumers should react quickly when a company that hosts their data has a security breach in order to prevent fraud and identity theft. — Erin Douglas, Houston Chronicle, "How to protect yourself after the Capital One data breach," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'identity theft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for identity theft

identity theft

noun

Financial Definition of identity theft

What It Is

Identity theft is the crime of using another person's personal information, credit history or other identifying characteristics in order to make purchases or borrow money without that person's permission.

How It Works

Let's say John Doe is at work and happens to see some paperwork on a co-worker's desk. The paperwork is a stack of applications for credit from customers. The applications list each person's name, birth date, social security number and bank information. John Doe photocopies an application for Jane Smith. He then uses Jane's information to apply for a credit card in her name, which he then uses to buy a motorcycle and a beer stein collection.

Jane is a responsible adult and therefore checks her credit every four months (once a year for each of the three credit bureaus). She notices the "new" credit card and the massive balance for the motorcycle and beer-stein spree. She calls the credit card company to dispute the charges and files a police report. In the meantime, she is unable to qualify for a mortgage because lenders feel she is carrying too much debt (thanks to the thief), and collection agencies are calling her for credit card payments.

Why It Matters

Identity theft often involves stealing electronic data. It is very time-consuming for victims to battle and takes a long time to recover from. Often, the perpetrators are never caught, and the victims' credit scores suffer tremendously. Accordingly, smart consumers check their credit often in order to detect identity theft before it gets out of hand (or statutes of limitation occur), they avoid giving data out unnecessarily, and they are alert to changes in normal financial routines, such as bills that no longer arrive, mysterious bank charges, or communications from the IRS that more than one tax return was filed in your name.

Source: Investing Answers

identity theft

noun

English Language Learners Definition of identity theft

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

See the full definition for identity theft in the English Language Learners Dictionary

identity theft

Legal Definition of identity theft

see theft

identity theft

Definition of identity theft

Examples of identity theft in a Sentence

First Known Use of identity theft

Financial Definition of identity theft

English Language Learners Definition of identity theft

Legal Definition of identity theft

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