The Real Face of Identity Theft
Identity Theft Doesn't Always Occur Like You Think It Would
If you think that senior citizens are the biggest target of identity theft or that the majority of identity theft occurs online, you might be surprised to find out the facts. The true face of identity theft isn’t always what we think it is.
A Shocking Surprise
While many people think that the majority of identity theft crimes occur online, research shows that a shocking 30 percent of identity theft cases are due to stolen wallets and/or purses whereas less than 10 percent of identity theft cases are due to online risks.
But that’s not where the surprises end. While people have commonly believed that the elderly were most at risk of identity theft, the fact of the matter is that 25 – 35 year olds are the most common victims.
And while you may think that strangers are usually the ones that commit identity theft, it’s been stated that in 15 percent of identity theft cases, the victims knew the person who committed the crime.
So while you may think you know everything there is to know about identity theft, the actually statistics can be quite surprising.
Comments
Interesting stuff but does not seem to be complete
Posted by: Liam Ryan | May 10, 2006 9:20 AM
The statistics don't always tell the truth, as a matter of fact. Those statistics were derived from the reported cases. The statistics are considerably altered if they are also based on the UNreported cases, which make up a considerable amount of the total ID theft. So take any "research" with a grain of salt if they don't tell you how they came about their conclusions.
Posted by: Watson Name | May 10, 2006 10:19 AM
Thanks for all the very useful tips not only regarding Identity Theft, but about saving gas for our cars.
Posted by: Evelyn Kahn | May 10, 2006 10:23 AM
It has been my opinion for some time that electronic transactions, whether than via the web or machine, are more secure that the simple writing and issuing of a paper check. When you write a check, you hand them all your account info for anyone to see.
We had this happen with our company account, and they forged checks and ran up over $60K in purchases.
Posted by: Tim | May 10, 2006 8:46 PM