Identity Theft Facts

The FTC put out a report on Identity Theft that describes the various methods that ID thieves use to gain access to your sensitive information. Here are some of the methods outlined in this government report:

• They get information from businesses or other institutions by:




• stealing records from their employer


• bribing an employee who has access to these records


• hacking into the organization's computers




• They rummage through your trash or the trash of businesses or dumps in a practice known as dumpster diving


• They obtain credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to credit reports or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to the information


• They steal credit and debit card numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device in a practice known as skimming


• They steal wallets and purses containing identification and credit and bank cards


• They steal mail, including bank and credit card statements, preapproved credit offers, new checks, or tax information


• They complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location


• They steal personal information from your home


• They scam information from posing as a legitimate business person or government official

Since this report was released some new techniques have become very popular for identity thieves. Our ever increasing reliance in electorinc transfers has made it easier for tech savvy crooks to get our info.

One of the newest forms of ID theft is called phishing. Phishing is where a criminal will set up and email address and website that is designed to look like legitimate businesses that you already do business with. They then send you an email that says you need to update your account info, and send you to the fake page that is designed to phish your information. You enter the information you think the company is asking for, but in reality you have just handed a criminal your identity on a silver platter.

• There are over 10 million identity theft victims in the US each year


• Someone has their identity stolen every 4 seconds in the United States

• On average it costs $8,000 for a person to recover from identity theft


• Victims spend an average of 600 hours in paper work and other activities to clear their name after identity theft


• The Aberdeen Group has estimated that $221 billion a year is lost by businesses worldwide due to identity theft.

• 12% of victims end up having warrants issued in their name for financial crimes committed by the identity thief.


• 47% of victims have trouble getting credit or a loan as a result of identity theft.


• 70% of victims have trouble getting rid of (or never get rid of) negative information in their records

• 55-60% of victims don't find out about the identity theft until 3 months after(or later) it occurs


• 13% of victims take 4 years or longer to discover that they are victims of identity theft.