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 group of people are targeted for 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.

Which age group is the most targeted group for identity theft?

In 2020, the most targeted age group for identity theft were 30 to 39 year olds, among whom 306,090 cases were reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States. The second most targeted age group were those aged 40 to 49, with 302,678 cases of identity theft reported.

How many victims of identity theft are there?

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 does it mean to be a victim of identity theft?

Identity (ID) theft happens when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud. The identity thief may use your information to apply for credit, file taxes, or get medical services. These acts can damage your credit status, and cost you time and money to restore your good name.

Identity theft victim: 'It's been hell'

How do you know if you're a victim of identity theft?

Statements or bills for accounts you never opened arriving in the mail. Statements or bills for legitimate accounts not showing up. You're unexpectedly denied credit. Unauthorized bank transactions or withdrawals.

What is an example of identity theft?

Once identity thieves have your personal information they may: Go on spending sprees using your credit and debit account numbers to buy “big ticket” items like computers or televisions that they can easily re-sell.

Why are the elderly often victims of identity theft?

Seniors are vulnerable to identity theft scams because often they are more trusting, have more savings and home equity built up, and are less likely to closely monitor their credit and financial accounts.

What are the 5 most common types of identity theft?

How do most people get their identity stolen?

Common causes of identity theft include: Public Wi-Fi networks. Discarded or stolen documents containing personal identifying information. Data breaches affecting merchants, government agencies, health care companies and other large organizations.

Why teens are at risk for identity theft?

Teens are vulnerable to Identity Theft because of their frequent activity on the Internet. Sharing personal information on blogs or social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster, or MySpace without considering who may get access to the information is risky.

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 do people steal your identity?

There are a number of ways identity thieves may obtain your personal information. Fraudsters may dig through mail or trash in search of credit card or bank statements. Unsecured web sites or public Wi-Fi may allow identity thieves to access your information electronically.

What is child ID theft?

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 do you protect your parents from identity theft?

What are the top two types of identity theft in this country?

What are the 4 types of identity theft?

The four types of identity theft include medical, criminal, financial and child identity theft. Medical identity theft occurs when individuals identify themselves as another to procure free medical care.

What are the 3 types of identity theft?

The types of identity theft they may face are the same as anyone else: financial identity theft, tax identity theft and medical identity theft, for instance.

What are 5 ways someone can steal your identity?

What are 7 key signs that you have been a victim of identity theft?

How can I find out if someone is using my name?

How do I find out if someone took a loan out in my name?

The best way to find out if someone has opened an account in your name is to pull your own credit reports to check. Note that you'll need to pull your credit reports from all three bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion—to check for fraud since each report may have different information and reporting.

How does identity theft affect victims?

Victims of identity theft will feel overwhelmed at times by the psychological pain of loss, helplessness, anger, isolation, betrayal, rage, and even embarrassment. This crime triggers deep fears regarding financial security, the safety of family members, and the ability to trust again.

How many teens are victims of identity theft?

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.