Mississippi Code
Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-85 (2026)
Fraudulent use of identity, Social Security number, credit card or debit card number or other identifying information to obtain thing of value
✓ current as of July 2026
- (1) Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person's or entity's identity, social security account number, credit card number, debit card number, DD-214 or other identifying information for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining or with the intent to obtain goods, services or any thing of value, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, for a first offense shall be fined not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or imprisoned for a term not to exceed five (5) years, or both. For a second or subsequent offense such person, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or imprisoned for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, or both. In addition to the fines and imprisonment provided in this section, a person convicted under this section shall be ordered to pay restitution as provided in Section 99-37-1 et seq.
- (2) A person is guilty of fraud under subsection (1) who:
- (a) Shall furnish false information willfully, knowingly and with intent to deceive anyone as to his true identity or the true identity of another person; or
- (b) Willfully, knowingly, and with intent to deceive, uses a social security account number to establish and maintain business or other records; or
- (c) With intent to deceive, falsely represents a number to be the social security account number assigned to him or another person, when in fact the number is not the social security account number assigned to him or such other person; or
- (d) With intent to deceive, falsely represents to be a representative of an entity in order to open banking accounts, obtain credit cards, or other services and supplies in the entity's name; or
- (e) Knowingly alters a social security card, buys or sells a social security card or counterfeit or altered social security card, counterfeits a social security card, or possesses a social security card or counterfeit social security card with intent to sell or alter it; or
- (f) Willfully and knowingly, with intent to deceive, falsely uses a form DD-214, Military Retiree Identification Card, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Identification Card, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Identification Card or National Guard Form NGB 22, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a veterans driver's license or any other state or federal government benefit available only to honorably discharged veterans.
Laws, 1993, ch. 387, § 1; Laws, 1998, ch. 555, § 1; Laws, 2009, ch. 391, § 1, eff. 7/1/2009.
Amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 416, SB 2294,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2021.
Brought forward by Laws, 2014, ch. 457, HB 585, 76, eff. 7/1/2014.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2009–2024 · leading case: Patton v. State, 109 So. 3d 66 (Miss. 2012).
Patton v. State, 109 So. 3d 66 (Miss. 2012). “In this criminal pro se appeal, we address several issues raised by Edgar Earl Patton, who was convicted of the crime of false pretense under Mississippi Code Section 97-19-39 (one count) and fraudulent use of identity under Mississippi Code Section 97-19-85 (four counts) in the…”
Johnson v. State, 155 So. 3d 733 (Miss. 2014). “” Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-85 (Rev. 2006). Johnson admitted that, “on Sunday[,] the 10th of January[,] I went to Wal-mart and I used an ID that had Angela Carlton SSN XXX-XX-XXXX and bought a 10 part pack of Clarion-D [sic].”
Serrato-Soto v. Holder, 570 F.3d 686 (6th Cir. 2009). “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-85. Serrato-Soto’s record of conviction does not cite any particular subsection under which he was charged and convicted.”
Catling v. State, 45 So. 3d 295 (Miss. Ct. App. 2010). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-19-85(1) (Rev.2006) states in part: Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person’s or entity’s identity, social security account number, credit card number, debit card number…”
Stephanie Fields v. State of Mississippi, 228 So. 3d 942 (Miss. Ct. App. 2017). “§ 97-19-85; one count of attempted felony use of a Social Security number; three counts of felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult, Miss.”
Paul J. Vlasak a/k/a Paul Joseph Vlasak v. State of Mississippi (Miss. Ct. App. 2024). “2020) (Count I); three counts of fraudulently using another person’s identity and identifying information, Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-85 (Rev. 2020) (Counts II, III, and IV); and one count of identity theft, Miss.”
Angela Denise Johnson v. State of Mississippi (Miss. 2010). “” Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-85 (Rev. 2006). Johnson admitted that, “on Sunday[,] the 10th of January[,] I went to Wal-mart and I used an ID that had Angela Carlton SSN 428-69- 9874 and bought a 10 part pack of Clarion-D [sic].”
Harold Maurice Dean v. State of Mississippi, 147 So. 3d 382 (Miss. Ct. App. 2014). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-19-85 (Supp.2013) states, in part, that: (1) Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person’s or entity’s identity, social security account number, credit card number, debit…”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-85(1) — 1 case
Catling v. State, 45 So. 3d 295 (Miss. Ct. App. 2010). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-19-85(1) (Rev.2006) states in part: Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person’s or entity’s identity, social security account number, credit card number, debit card number…”
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