Facts about identity theft

Facts about identity theft

— In 2005, about 1.6 million households experienced theft of existing accounts other than a credit card, such as a banking account, and 1.1 million households discovered misuse of personal information, such as a Social Security number.

— Ten percent of households with incomes of $75,000 or higher experienced identity theft. That was about twice the percentage of households earning less than $50,000.

— Across all types of identity theft, the average amount lost per household was $1,620.

— In 2004, households headed by persons ages 18-24 and those in the highest income bracket ($75,000 or more) were the most likely to experience identity theft.

— Three in 10 households experiencing any type of identity theft discovered it by missing money or noticing unfamiliar charges on an account. Almost one in four was contacted by a credit bureau.

— About two-thirds of households experiencing identity theft reported some type of a monetary loss as a result of theft.

Source: The U.S. Department of Justice. Statistics represent the most recent available.
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