Identity theft is using another person's full identity - name, date of birth, Social Security number, biometric data, or electronic credentials - to obtain value, open accounts, or evade detection. Credit card fraud is narrower: using a physical or digital card, or card number, that does not belong to you. Most identity theft cases that involve spending also get charged with credit card fraud as a stacked count. The practical difference matters at sentencing - credit card fraud alone resolves more easily in state court, while identity theft paired with new-account fraud draws federal attention and often pulls in aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. If your case is purely card misuse, see our Rhode Island credit card fraud lawyer page.
