Let’s look at the latest numbers. 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.

How often is identity stolen?

Identity theft affects about 1 in 20 American each year. According to Javelin’s 2020 Identity Fraud Survey, 13 million consumers in the U.S. were affected by identity fraud in 2019 with total fraud losses of nearly $17 billion.

How many cases of identity theft are there in 2020?

1.4 million
The FTC also reports a 73% year-over-year increase in identity thefts from 2019 to 2020. There were nearly 1.4 million reported ID theft incidents in 2020, versus 650,000+ in 2019.

How many identity thefts happen a year?

Top 10 States By Number Of Cybercrime Victims And By Losses, 2020 (1)

What is the most common form of identity theft?

Financial identity theft
Financial identity theft. This is the most common form of identity theft — when someone uses another person’s information for financial gain. For instance, a fraudster may use your bank account or credit card numbers to steal money or make purchases, or use your Social Security number to open a new credit card.

What are the odds of identity theft?

In 2019, 14.4 million consumers became victims of identity fraud — that’s about 1 in 15 people. Overall, 33 percent of U.S. adults have experienced identity theft, which is more than twice the global average. More than one in four older adults, aged 55 and over, have experienced identity theft.

How easy is it to get your identity stolen?

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.

How often do people get their identity stolen?

Data from the last few years shows that around 14.4 million people have their identity stolen each year ( 5 ). That’s nearly 40,000 cases each day. Before getting to our stats, let’s define what identity theft is and some important terms you should know.

How many identities were stolen in the US in 2016?

Over 791 million identities were stolen in the US in 2016. France was far behind in second place with 85 million identities stolen. (Source: Symantec) 143 million Americans faced an increased risk of identity theft after a major Equifax hack stole millions of Social Security Numbers, birthdays, addresses, and even some drivers license numbers.

What are the statistics on identity theft and fraud?

There were 4.8 million identity theft and fraud reports received by the FTC in 2020, up 45 percent from 3.3 million in 2019, mostly due to the 113 percent increase in identity theft complaints. In 2020, 1.4 million complaints were for identity theft, up from 651,000 in 2019.

Who is the most likely target of identity theft?

More Worrying Identity Theft Statistics for 2019 Americans are the most likely targets of identity theft (791 million cases in 2016), with the French being second most likely (85 million cases) The Consumer Sentinel Network dealt with 1.1 million cases of fraud including identity theft in 2017, with a total loss of $905 million