Myths & Facts of Identity Theft

Myth: One of the biggest misconceptions is that Americans believe technology or Internet activity make them more vulnerable to identity fraud. Nearly 40% of respondents said that identity theft is more likely to occur through online exchanges.

Fact: In reality online exchanges only represent 9% of the crime. The majority of identify fraud occurs through paper documents and stolen information.

Myth: Survey respondents believed that Americans 60 years and older are most vulnerable to the crime.

Fact: Americans vastly overestimate the risk to the elderly and underestimate the risk to the young. In reality only 8% percent of identity theft complaints involve senior citizens. The most vulnerable group are actually those in the 18 to 29 year old age range.

Myth: Nearly half of respondents believed fewer than 10,000 cases of identity theft are reported each day in the United States, revealing how much they underestimate the crime.

Fact: There are more than 24,000 reports of identity fraud every day – or one victim every three seconds.


*Survey conducted by Identity Theft Resource Center