identity theft

American  

1. the fraudulent appropriation and use of someone's identifying or personal data or documents, as a credit card.

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identity theft British  

noun

1. the crime of setting up and using bank accounts and credit facilities fraudulently in another person's name without his or her knowledge

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Etymology

Origin of identity theft

1995–2000

Example Sentences

Stewart also pointed to new forms of identity theft where criminals create synthetic identities and social-media accounts mimicking the behaviors of real people.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

"Given the nature of the data involved, there is a risk of impacts including identity theft, fraud, or misuse of personal information," it said in the email.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

That data is considered highly sensitive because it can be used to commit identity theft, access financial or government records, and facilitate targeted harassment or intimidation, particularly if the data were mishandled or leaked.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Broadly speaking, palm-vein technology, which identifies people based on the unique pattern of their veins, is considered less susceptible to identity theft because vein patterns are difficult to copy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Someone in the back makes a crack about identity theft.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan