Identity Theft 101

Did you know...

  • Identity fraud cost Americans $18 billion in 2011.†

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation.1 In 2010, over 8 million Americans fell victim to identity theft – that’s more than the entire population of the state of Virginia!2,3

Click below to see how your state ranks and what identity thieves are up to in your area.

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Nationwide Facts

The most common form of reported identity theft in America in 2011 was government documents/benefits fraud, followed by credit card fraud, phone or utilities fraud, and bank fraud.

The top five states for identity theft complaints per capita in 2011:4

  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • California
  • Arizona
  • Texas

The top five metropolitan areas for identity theft complaints per capita in 2011:4

  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL
  • Montgomery, AL
  • Greeley, CO
  • Columbus, GA-AL
  • Dunn, NC

Consumers ages 20-29 are most affected, according to CSN report, accounting for 23% of the total identity theft complaints filed with the FTC in 2011.4

Eleven states showed increases in fraud in 2010:2

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Kansas
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Utah
  • West Virginia

1 Social Security Administration. “Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number.” SSA Publication No. 05-10064. August 2009.
2 Javelin Strategy & Research. “2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report.” February 2011.
3 http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met=population&idim= state:51000&dl=en&hl=en&q=population+of+virginia
4 FTC. “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for January - December 2011.” February 2012.

† Federal Trade Commission. “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book For January – December 2011.” February 2012.
† Javelin Strategy & Research. "2012 Identity Fraud Report: Social Media and Mobile Forming the New Fraud Frontier." February 2012.