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Identity
Theft Statistics
- 10
million Americans will be a victim of identity theft this year.
- 26
Times More Likely To Be A Victim Of ID Theft Than A Violent Crime
- 1,826
Times More Likely Than To Be Murdered
- 21
Times More Likely Than To Have Your Home Burglarized
- 2
Times More Likely Than Being In an Auto Accident
- 13
Times More Likely Than Being Divorced
- 19
percent of consumers report that financial information, including
a bank or credit card number, has been misused.
- 14
percent say they've had personal information such as a Social
Security number or birth certificate taken.
- Identity
theft prime targets are college graduates, those with annual household
income of $75,000 or more, people residing in the West, and Americans
between the age of 30 and 49.
- Identity
theft hits 1 in 4 U.S. households
- Loss
to businesses in the U.S. exceeds $50 billion annually due to
identity theft
- On
average, identity theft victims spend 175 hours of their personal
time and $800 to clear their names
- On
average it takes victims 14-16 months to clear their name
- One
in six Americans (17 percent) say theyve had financial information
stolen (bank or credit card number)
- Three
in four consumers (75 percent) agree that they would take more
steps to avoid being a victim of identity theft if they knew what
to do.
- Four
in ten consumers (43 percent) think it is unlikely they will be
victims of identity theft.
- One
in three consumer (33 percent) think there is nothing they can
really do to prevent identity theft.
Source:
Federal Trade Commission, The Gallop Organization poll, Consumer
Sentinel and Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse

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Protecting Personal Data
Personal
information has become the currency of choice for criminals because the
credit system allows consumers with a good credit rating to easily set
up lines of credit until fraud is detected.
Thieves
would rather steal an individuals reputation than what is in his
wallet. Compromised data are routinely bought and sold by individuals
and organized crime through Internet chat rooms, electronic-payment systems
and online casinos.
The data can pop up anywhere from Russia, where credit card numbers
are ripe for the picking on Web sites, to the Middle East, where terrorist
groups finance operations through ID theft, and South Central Los Angeles,
where street gangs do the same.

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