What age group is most commonly victimized by identity theft?

Most Affected Groups

Consumers between the ages of 40 and 69 are reporting identity theft at higher rates, suggesting a growing awareness of this crime—and vulnerability.

What age group is most at risk for identity theft?

Identity Theft Reports by Age

2020 was an atypical year for identity theft, in that 30 to 39-year-olds were the most frequently targeted age group for identity theft. Normally, children under 19, young adults 20 to 29, and seniors over 60 are the most common victims of identity theft.

Who are the victims of identity theft?

Whites (10%) had a higher prevalence of identity-theft victimization than blacks (7%), Hispanics (6%), and Asians (8%). Persons age 35 to 49 accounted for 24% of all U.S. residents age 16 or older, but they accounted for 29% of all victims of identity theft.

What segment of the population are the most common victims of identity theft?

Based on the 2016 survey, more females (13.5 million) experienced identity theft than males (12.5 million). However, males and females had similar identity-theft prevalence rates (10% each). Whites (12%) had a higher prevalence of identity theft than blacks (7%), Hispanics (6%), and persons of other races (8%).

Who is a target for identity theft?

Wealthy individuals or those people who might generally be expected to be wealthy, such as individuals with college degrees, are more likely to be targets of identity theft. Although it's not only the wealth of these people that make them a target, it's the fact that they often have more accounts as well.

Identity Theft Explained - And What To Do About It

What type of victim do thieves usually target?

What type of victim do thieves usually target? These are characteristics of financial fraud victims in general: Senior adults, especially those who have mental or physical impairments. Individuals who are physically impaired.

How common is identity theft in the US?

Nearly 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft, according to a 2018 online survey by The Harris Poll. That same survey indicates nearly 15 million consumers experienced identity theft in 2017. So, yes, the crime of identity theft is relatively common.

Who are the main victims of cybercrime?

Contrary to many Hollywood depictions, the main victims of cybercrime are seldom the wealthy and powerful with deep bank accounts ripe to be emptied by clever hackers and digital grifters. It's the disenfranchised minorities - people of color, Indigenous groups - and women that cybercriminals are mostly after.

How many children are affected by identity theft each year?

More than 1.3 million children are victims of identity theft. According to a recent child identity theft study, more than 1.3 million children are victims of identity theft annually.

What are the statistics of identity theft?

Around 1 in 15 people become victims of identity fraud. Americans are most likely to have their identities stolen. 650,572 people suffered from identity theft in 2019. Over 1 million children become victims of identity crimes each year.

What are the 5 most common types of identity theft?

Why are college students especially vulnerable to identity theft?

There are many reasons students are especially vulnerable to identity theft; they are young, generally inexperienced with finances, and usually don't look through their entire bank statement. Many parents have their child on their account, and students don't keep track of their daily transactions.

What is the most common method used to steal your identity?

The most common way an identity thief can acquire information from a person is from stealing their purse or wallet and an identity thief may take a person's personal information from the internet.

How many teens get their identity stolen?

According to a 2018 study performed by Javelin Strategy & Research, two-thirds of all identity theft victims are under the age of 8. Roughly 20% are between the ages of 8 and 12. Children are ripe for this type of fraud, and the experts estimate that 1 million children are victims of identity fraud every year.

Can identity theft happen to a minor?

Adults are not the only targets of identity theft. In fact, children under the age of 18 can also become victims. Child identity theft happens when someone uses a minor child's personal information, such as name and Social Security number, usually to obtain credit or employment.

How does identity theft affect teens?

Identity theft can destroy or damage a teen's ability to qualify for student loans, acquire a cell phone, seek employment or secure a place to live. These teens can face a number of roadblocks during an already challenging time of applying to colleges, trying to land jobs and building credit.

How many kids get their identity stolen?

SAN FRANCISCO, November 02, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 1.25 million children in the United States fell victim to identity theft and fraud in the past year, costing the average affected family more than $1,100, according to the 2021 Child Identity Fraud Study, released today by Javelin Strategy & Research, part of ...

Which type of identity theft is most prevalent for those ages 20 39?

The FTC has found that credit card theft was the most common type of identity fraud in 2020 and 2021. The FTC has received nearly 18,000 reports from various individuals who have stated that their information has been used to gain access to their credit card accounts illegally.

Why How are children becoming targets of identity theft?

Hackers and cybercriminals actually prefer targeting children for identity theft because the crime often goes unnoticed for a very long time. Adults may realize this only when unusual activity appears on their credit report or credit card bills, or they have issues obtaining a loan or getting unemployment.

How many people are victims of identity theft in 2019?

Self-reported data to the FTC indicates that over 22,833 identity theft victims were under the age of 19 in 2021. This reflects a 63% increase over the 14,000 reported in 2019.

What are the two types of information identity thieves generally target?

Any of these pieces of information are fair game for identity thieves, though some are more valuable than others: SSN, date of birth, credit card numbers, driver's license number, Social Security card, passwords and usernames, rewards account numbers, and more.

What are the three most common acts of identity theft?

The three most common types of identity theft are financial, medical and online.

Why is it so easy to steal a person's identity?

“The reason it's so easy is because so many of us use the same password for multiple accounts,” Identity Theft Resource Center COO James Lee told CBS News' Anna Werner. But what can consumers do on their part to combat the threat of stolen identity?

What can someone do with my date of birth?

Unfortunately, an ID fraudster can use your birthday as a piece of the puzzle to capture your identity and commit identity theft. Fraudsters need just three key bits of information to steal your identity and access your accounts, take out loans, credit cards, mobile phones in your name.