identity fraud

IPA/aɪˈden.tə.ti ˌfrɔːd/
IPA/aɪˈden.t̬ə.t̬i ˌfrɑːd/

identity fraud — noun

1. the illegal act of stealing another person's private details — such as their ful

1.nounB2
Definition

the illegal act of stealing another person's private details — such as their full name, ID card number, or bank account information — and using those details to obtain money, goods, or services as if you were that person

Example

A stranger opened a bank account using Mei-Lin's ID — a clear case of identity fraud.

collocation: a case of identity fraud

The gang used identity fraud to buy expensive phones with stolen passports.

pattern: used [something] to [verb phrase]

Common collocations
  • commit identity fraud
  • a victim of identity fraud
  • a case of identity fraud
  • fall victim to identity fraud
  • identity fraud prevention
  • identity fraud investigation
Synonyms
  • identity theft

    very similar in meaning; identity theft sometimes emphasises the stealing of personal data, while identity fraud focuses on the actual use of that data for financial gain

  • impersonation

    broader term — impersonation does not always involve financial crime; it can mean pretending to be someone for any reason

  • financial fraud

    a wider category that includes identity fraud as well as other types of money-related deception

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — use 'a case of identity fraud' or 'an act of identity fraud' rather than 'an identity fraud'.

Common Mistakes

He committed an identity fraud.
He committed identity fraud.
identity fraud is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the article 'an'.
I was a victim of identity frauds.
I was a victim of identity fraud.
identity fraud is uncountable; use 'cases of identity fraud' for multiple instances.

Word family

  • identity theft
    nounB2
  • identity thief
    nounC1
  • identity fraudster
    nounC1
  • fraudulent
    adjectiveB2
  • defraud
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Identity fraud and identity theft are often used interchangeably, but a useful distinction exists: identity theft refers to the act of stealing someone's personal information (e.g. copying a credit card number or stealing a passport), while identity fraud involves actually using that stolen information to obtain money, goods, or services. Impersonation is a broader concept — it covers pretending to be someone else for any purpose, not necessarily financial. Financial fraud is the widest term; it includes identity fraud as well as other crimes such as credit card fraud, investment scams, and insurance fraud. For example, forging a signature on a cheque is financial fraud; that same act combined with stealing the victim's ID is identity fraud.

identity theftimpersonation ↗financial fraud

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a case of identity fraud
  • a victim of identity fraud
  • an act of identity fraud
  • identity fraud prevention
  • identity fraud investigation

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The term combines identity (from Latin identitas, meaning 'sameness' — who a person is) with fraud (from Latin fraud-, fraus, meaning 'deceit' or 'trickery'). The compound noun identity fraud became common in the 1990s as online banking, credit cards, and digital transactions created new opportunities for criminals to steal and use others' personal information for financial gain.