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
Last year, the agency focused about 70% of its time on tax crimes, including tax refund fraud, identity theft, cybercrimes, scams, and public corruption.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2025
Federal prosecutors said the exchange facilitated ransomware attacks, identity theft and other crimes.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Cases of identity theft have contributed to refund delays in past tax seasons.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Microsoft says users will continue to receive device protection as well as identity theft and credit monitoring features included with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for identity theft 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2025
Federal prosecutors said the exchange facilitated ransomware attacks, identity theft and other crimes.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Cases of identity theft have contributed to refund delays in past tax seasons.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Microsoft says users will continue to receive device protection as well as identity theft and credit monitoring features included with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for identity theft
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 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share