Survey Reveals 38 Million Americans Claim Identity Theft In Their Lifetime
20% of U. S. households have a member who was violated by identity theft – - number of victims per year on the rise
Norwalk, CT (PRWEB) December 6, 2010
A November 2010 study revealed that one would find a victim of identity theft in 19% of American households. And 12.5%, or 38 million American consumers, claim to have been have been a victim of ID theft. The results are part of the 2010 U. S. Consumer Study on Identity Theft, commissioned by IdentityHawk and fielded by Survey Sampling International.*
While 38 million U. S. citizens claim they have been victimized in their lifetime, research from Javelin Strategy & Research shows that 11.1 million Americans say they were ID theft victims in 2009.
The IdentityHawk study also revealed that better educated and married/living with a partner/divorced/widowed persons were more likely to have been a victim of identity theft. Results are as follows:
Education level/victims of identity theft:
High school or less: 9% of respondents
Some college/college: 15% of respondents
Marital status/victims of identity theft
Single: 10% of respondents
Married/living with partner: 13% of respondents
Divorced/widowed: 16% of respondents
The Javelin Annual Identity Protection Services Scorecard also shows a steady increase in identity theft since 2007 when 8.1 million people were victimized. That figure rose to 9.9 million in 2008, according to according to the Javelin results released in a published report: http://www. pymnts. com
Findings:
Ever been a victim of identity theft (IdentityHawk):12.5% yes = 38 million
Victim in past year (2007): 8.1 million
Victim in past year (2008): 9.9 million
Victim in past year (2009): 11.1 million
According to Phil Sandler, Spokesman for IdentityHawk. com, “We are seeing a steady recent increase in identity theft. It suggests that consumers need more preventative and predictive measures rather than just being able to take action after their identity has been breached. Further, we believe that the incident of identity theft is actually underreported.”
An FTC report confirms Sandler’s premise of under reported incidences. According to the FTC 2008 Consumer Sentinel Report, 65 percent of those who reported identity theft to the FTC did not report the crime to their local law enforcement agencies.
About IdentityHawk
IdentityHawk help consumers safeguard their assets, their properties, and their good names. Through its suite of protective benefits, IdentityHawk members can view the health of their identity protection, identify areas where they're most at risk, and take proactive steps to reduce those risks. IdentityHawk members receive instant e-mail or text alerts whenever a potential risk is uncovered. Whether it's the unauthorized use of a member's personal information or a data breach that could potentially affect a wide range of the general population, IdentityHawk informs its members about the latest threats to their identity as quickly as electronically possible.
All information that our members provide is protected by state-of-the-art SSL encryption safeguards. For more information, go to http://www. IdentityHawk. com
*The data for the U. S. Consumer Study on Identity Theft was collected through Survey Sampling International in Shelton, Connecticut. Results have a margin of error +/- 5%.
The articles and information available are for educational and reference purposes only. They do not constitute, and should not be construed as, legal or financial advice. Any legal or financial principles discussed here are for general information purposes only and may differ substantially in individual situations and/or in different states or countries. For specific legal or financial advice, please consult a licensed attorney or a financial professional. IdentityHawk does not control or guarantee the accuracy of any information provided through external links from the articles on this website to any other website, nor does the IdentityHawk privacy policy apply to any personal information that may be collected via the external links.
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