Identity Theft - Statistics for 2010

Identity Theft Statistics - 2010

Last Updated: July 10, 2011

Every year, an estimated 9 million U.S. residents are victims of identity theft. Below are the statistics for 2010, as documented by Javelin Strategy and Research, the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS.

Identity Theft Trends in 2010

Amoung U.S. residents, these are just some of the identity theft trends from 2009 to 2010:

Identity theft fell 28% to 8.1 million, a decrease of 3 million since 2009.
Monetary losses from identity theft fell to $37 billion, a decrease of $20 billion since 2009.
48% of identity theft cases were discovered by consumers themselves.
Out-of-pocket expense per identity theft victim increased 63% to $631, compared to $389 in 2009.
"Friendly" fraud increased by 7% over 2009.
Data breaches decreased nearly one-third to 26 million records exposed, compared to 221 million in 2009.
The FTC received 250,854 identity theft complaints in 2010.
For the 11th year in a row, identity theft complaints represented the largest number of complaints received by the FTC The IRS reported 245,000 incidents of identity theft, compared to 169,087 in 2009.

Types of Identity Theft Reported to the FTC in 2010

Credit Card Fraud	14% of the identity theft victims reported that a credit card was opened in their name or that unauthorized charges were placed on their existing credit card.
Unauthorized Phone or Utility Services	15% of victims reported that the identity thief had established a new telephone, cellular, or other utility service in their name or accessed their existing account.
Bank Fraud	10% of identity theft victims reported that a new bank account had been opened in their name, fraudulent checks had been written, or unauthorized withdrawals had been made from their account.
Employment Related Fraud	13% of identity theft victims reported misuse of the victims� personal information to gain employment.
Government Documents or Benefits	16% reported that the identity thief had obtained or forged a government document such as a driver's license, filed a fraudulent document such as a tax return, or obtained government benefits in their name.
Fraudulent Loans	4% reported that the identity thief had obtained a loan (personal, business, auto, real estate, etc.) in their name.
Other Identity Theft	Other types of identity theft reported included using a victims personal information to obtain medical services, evade legal sanctions and criminal records, obtain tax refunds, open or access Internet accounts, declare bankruptcy, lease residences, and purchase or trade in securities and investments. 23% of the total reported cases fell into these categories.

Identity Theft Complaints by Victims' Age (given in percentages)

19 and Under:	7
20 to 29:	24
30 to 39:	22
40 to 49:	19
50 to 59:	15
Over 60:	13

The Top Ten States for Identity Theft Complaints per 100,000 Population

Florida	122.3
Arizona	119.4
Texas	116.4
California	114.2
Nevada	106.0
New Mexico	98.0
Georgia	97.2
New York	96.7
Colorado	95.0
Illinois	93.8

Identity Theft FAQ's

What are the most common types of identity theft?

In 2010, the most popular identity theft was the use of stolen identities for the application of federal benefits, such as social security payments. Stealing credit card data for unauthorized credit card transactions was also at the top of the list.

What is "friendly" fraud?

Friendly fraud, which grew 7 percent in 2010, is identity theft committed by people you know. Those ages 25 to 34 years old are most susceptible to this type of identity theft.

Why did identity theft fall so dramatically in 2010?

The President and Founder of Javelin Strategy and Research credits the decline in identity theft to banks beefing up precautionary measures.

What is the best protection against identity theft?

Shred sensitive documents that display personal information, such as pay stubs, bank statements, credit card statements and pre-approved credit card offers.
When making online purchases, only share your credit card information on secure websites that display the yellow padlock icon in the bottom margin of your browser (below the web page area).
Create strong online passwords - ideally at least 8 characters long with one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one number and one non-alphanumeric character - and change them often.
Check your credit card and bank statements for unauthorized transactions.
Check your credit report regularly so you can quickly catch and resolve any unauthorized accounts or activity.

Conclusion

The dramatic decrease in overall identity theft last year is encouraging, but should not overshadow the 8.1 million incidents that did occur. Let's hope the president of Javelin Strategy and Research is correct - that we have banks' precautionary measures to thank for the decline. But keep in mind that nearly half of last year's identity victims discovered the theft themselves. We are our own best defense, before and after the fact. Protect your personal information and keep close watch on your financial statements and credit reports.