Interesting Identity Theft Statistics
While the statistics surrounding identity theft are not 100 percent accurate, they are close to it and should open your eyes to just how big of a problem this has become.
How many people become victims of identity theft every year? It is thought that roughly 10 million Americans have their identity stolen annually. This is far from everybody in the country, but a very big number. To understand just how severe this is, it is essential to consider how much money is lost each year due to this crime. Not only are hundreds of billions of dollars lost, but the average victim spends more than 300 hours attempting to repair damage caused by identity theft.
There are many types of identity theft. Approximately 66 percent of victims stated that their personal information was stolen to open a new credit card account; this is most common. Also, a rising trend shows that almost 30 percent of victims had a cell phone account opened in their name. This is sure to become even more popular as technology advances.
These statistics should help you to see just how big of a problem identity theft has become. Are you doing what you can to avoid becoming the next statistic?
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