ConsumerReports.org - ID theft, theft by the numbers 10/03

Credit and loans

In this report: Overview; Theft by the numbers; ID-theft protection services; Shredders can foil thieves; What you can do

October 2003

ID theft by the numbers

The 10 highest rates of ID theft (numbers are per 100,000 population) occur in:
	Washington, D.C.	123
	California	91
	Arizona	88
	Nevada	85
	Texas	69
	Florida	68
	New York	67
	Washington	66
	Maryland	66
	Oregon	64
Source: Federal Trade Commission, based on more than 140,000 complaints last year to its Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse.

Thieves often open new credit-card and cell-phone accounts. Reported cases include the following ID frauds*:

Fraud

Percent of cases

Credit card

Phone or utilities

Bank

Employment-related

Benefits or government documents

Attempted ID theft

Loans

Other

* Many victims experienced more than one fraud.