Not a whole lot of people realize how commonplace and dangerous identity theft really is — hence where our identity theft statistics come into play. Identity theft is using someone else’s identity, either for monetary benefits or to get around a legal barrier. It is becoming one of the most common crimes in the US and has evolved significantly over the years, mostly thanks to the internet. From stealing physical documents from dumpsters to sophisticated practices like hacking into databases or using phishing to steal your personal information.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper dive into the very intricacies of identity theft, including the exact number of cases, the amount of money lost due to this practice, and more.
So, if you want to find out more on this topic, just keep on reading!
Top 10 Key Identity Theft Facts and Statistics
- 650,572 identity theft cases were reported in 2019 in the US.
- Georgia had the highest number of identity theft cases in the US.
- A whopping 21% of people claim their emails have been used to send spam messages.
- Almost 2.5 million deceased identities are stolen per annum.
- Healthcare is one of the most affected market sectors when it comes to international identity theft.
- Seniors aged 80+ suffered the highest median loss ($1,600) out of all fraud cases.
- People aged 30–39 are most likely to be targeted for identity theft.
- Credit card fraud held the top spot when it came to identity theft back in 2018.
- A significant number of identity theft cases involve people you know.
- The identity theft protection market size is expected to reach $2.3 billion by the end of 2020.
General Identity Theft Statistics
1. 650,572 identity theft cases were reported in 2019 in the US.
(Fool)
What’s more, this number shows a considerable increase from last year’s figures (444,358). Likewise, the number of cases has been on the incline since 2017.
2. Georgia had the highest number of identity theft cases in the US.
(Insurance Information Institute)
In 2018, a total of 23,871 identity theft cases were reported in Georgia, or 229 cases per 100,000 people. If we look at identity theft statistics by state, it takes first place, followed by California with 186 cases per 100,000 people, and Florida (180).
3. There is a 78% increase in supply chain-related identity theft crimes.
(Consumer Affairs)
Identity thefts that leverage supply chains (whether by hijacking updates or corrupting software) to obtain end-users information increased over the years. Today, this presents the underlying weaknesses of online retail forums and e-stores.
4. A whopping 21% of people claim their emails have been used to send spam messages.
(Statista)
One of the most shocking mail identity theft statistics is that 1 in 5 people report unauthorized use of their email address (usually for scams and other shady dealings). Although this might seem like a minor threat, it carries its own set of risks and potential dangers.
5. One-fifth of all US citizens are looking to enrol in an identity theft monitoring service to protect themselves against COVID-19 scams.
(Experian)
According to a poll conducted by Experian regarding COVID-19 scams, 20% of people in the US are likely to join an identity theft monitoring service to shield themselves from the rising number of COVID-19 scams, which already make up a significant number of recent identity theft cases in 2020.
6. Almost 2.5 million deceased identities are stolen per annum.
(Consumer Affairs)
Truly one of the more morbid stats. Naturally, deceased individuals make for the best cover since they can’t be alerted of any infractions or criminal activities happening with their IDs.
7. Databases, computers, and websites make up 56% of the resources used in international identity theft and fraud.
(University of Texas Center for Identity)
International identity theft criminals primarily use databases (22%), computers (19%), and websites (15%) for committing identity theft crimes. These online identity theft statistics reveal a major shift from physical identity theft activities and the widespread use of the internet to facilitate crime.
8. Healthcare is one of the most affected market sectors when it comes to international identity theft.
(University of Texas Center for Identity)
In 2019, the Identity Threat Assessment and Prediction (ITAP) program from the University of Texas reported that the healthcare sector had the highest percentage of identity theft (19%) of all the sectors. It was closely followed by the Government facilities sector with a whopping 18%.
9. About 60 million people were affected by identity theft crimes in 2017.
(Panda Security)
Still, the number doesn’t reflect the number of actual victims but just the number of reported cases.
10. Identity theft was the 3rd most reported crime with the FTC in 2018.
(Federal Trade Commission)
According to identity theft statistics from 2018, identity theft cases made up 14.85% of all cases reported with the FTC, hence taking third place right behind imposter scams (17.88%) and debt collection (15.88%).
Identity Theft Stats on Victims
11. Seniors aged 80+ suffered the highest median loss ($1,600) out of all fraud cases.
(AARP)
Though seniors are targeted less than other age groups, their median losses are usually much higher. In fact, 80-year-olds (and above) lost the highest amount per victim than any other age group.
12. Children bullied online are nine times more likely to be victims of identity theft.
(Javelin Strategy)
According to child identity theft statistics from 2018, over one million children were victims of online fraud in 2017. This resulted in huge monetary losses of around $2.6 billion, which is nothing to sneeze at for sure.
13. People aged 30–39 are most likely to be targeted for identity theft.
(Statista)
Namely, 170,255 people from this age group were targeted for identity theft in 2019, the highest of any age group.
14. In 2017, the FTC received 13,852 identity theft complaints concerning children and teenage victims.
(Experian)
According to FTC’s teenage identity theft statistics, children and teenagers made up 3.89% of all the identity theft complaints they received in 2017, a total of 13,858 complaints; a frightening figure for many parents.
15. In Australia, 2 out of 3 identity theft victims are female.
(ACCAN)
Based on a study conducted in Australia, females were 50% more likely to report an identity theft crime than their male counterparts. As such, about two-thirds of the total number of victims were, in fact, female.
Identity Theft Statistics from 2019 and Emerging Trends
16. In 2019, identity theft topped the list of consumer protection crimes reported to the FTC.
(Federal Trade Commission)
In total, 650,572 identity theft cases were reported to the FTC, making up 20.33% of the total number of cases for that year, and was closely trailed by impostor scams (20.23%).
17. Credit card fraud held the top spot when it came to identity theft back in 2018.
(Federal Trade Commission)
There were a total of 157,688 reported credit card fraud cases in 2018. Next on the list were employment or tax-related fraud (67,374) and phone or utilities fraud (63,563), whereas the “Other Identity Theft” category had a whopping 122,499.
18. Medical ID theft statistics saw a 101% jump from the previous year.
(Federal Trade Commission)
Namely, there were a total of 27,742 medical identity theft cases, which is almost double the amount of reported cases from 2018.
19. 62% of identity theft victims are aged between 20 and 49.
(Federal Trade Commission)
The bulk of the total identity theft victims, according to recent identity theft statistics, are aged between 20 and 49. Hence, if you fall into this category, be extra careful.
20. South Dakota had the least number of identity theft cases per 100,000 people.
(Federal Trade Commission)
South Dakota reported merely 411 identity theft cases, making it the safest state when it comes to identity crime. Apart from this, the state also ranked lowest when it comes to fraud and similar crimes.
Identity Theft Facts and Projections
21. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are the new best friend of ID thieves and hackers.
(My ID Care)
According to estimates, about 5,223 IoT devices are hacked every month.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can turn a blind eye to the old school method. Dumpster diving identity theft statistics are still relevant, even though they are currently much lower than their digital/cyber counterparts.
22. A significant number of identity theft cases involve people you know.
(Debt)
Javelin Strategy and Research published a report on identity theft stating that some 550,000 of identity theft victims had their ID stolen by someone they knew.
23. The IRS does NOT initiate contact with taxpayers via email.
(Internal Revenue Service)
If you do not wish to become a part of IRS’ identity theft statistics, don’t provide your details to suspicious emails coming from the IRS as it does NOT interact with people via this channel, even when one tries to evade taxes. Neither does it reach out to taxpayers using text messages, social media channels, nor does it ask for sensitive personal and financial information.
24. The identity theft protection market size is expected to reach $2.3 billion by the end of 2020.
(IBIS World)
As more and more people recognize the importance of identity theft protection, the protection services market is growing. Namely, this assumption is based on current national figures and emerging trends.
25. The latest online identity theft facts reveal the global cost of identity theft — a mind-blowing $25.6 billion.
(Juniper Research)
The cost of identity theft is increasing exponentially with advances in internet technology, over-sharing trends, and poor digital security practices. The global cost of identity theft is expected to reach $25.6 billion by the end of 2020.
FAQs
How to prevent identity theft?
(USA.gov)
There are numerous safe practices you can adopt to prevent yourself from falling prey to identity theft. According to well-known facts about identity theft, these include the follow:
- Stronger passwords, unique IDs, and not registering on shifty websites. Also, change your passwords frequently. Use two-factor authentication for sensitive accounts, especially when connected to unsecured/public WiFi.
- Don’t keep your social security card on your person. Only provide your SSN to trustworthy entities, and ask how it’s going to be protected. Shred your hardcopy documents containing your SSN before discarding them.
- Keep checking your credit card statements. If you find a transaction you don’t recognize (no matter how small), trace it. If your credit card is indeed compromised, freeze it instantly.
What is the most common identity theft?
(Federal Trade Commission)
This honor goes to credit card fraud which accounted for 157,688 cases of credit card theft back in 2018 (and the numbers just keep on rising). One of the reasons could be the emergence of EMV technology, which makes it extremely difficult for criminals to reproduce already-existing cards.
Who commits identity theft?
(FBI.gov)
Most often, it’s done by individuals looking for monetary gain or healthcare benefits. However, the more serious cases are committed by criminals seeking to fool the law. Also, keep in mind that the vast majority of identity theft crimes are committed by people you may know or regularly come in contact with. In some cases, the data is leaked or hacked by an online entity that has your relevant information.
Conclusion
If there is one thing you need to take away from this collection of identity theft statistics, it is that you can never be too careful with your data and information; especially online. The shifting trends of identity theft and our own dependence on the internet means we must be extra precautions. So, be careful about how you handle your personal information, whether it be online or offline.
Sources
- AARP
- ACCAN
- Consumer Affairs
- Debt
- Experian
- Experian
- FBI.gov
- Federal Trade Commission
- Federal Trade Commission
- Fool
- IBIS world
- Insurance Information Institute
- Internal Revenue Service
- Javelin Strategy
- Juniper Research
- Lifelock
- My ID care
- Panda statistics
- Statista
- Statista
- University of Texas Center for Identity
- USA.gov
