States With the Highest Rates of Identity Theft
Identity theft rates are on the rise , and the problem is getting worse in some areas than in others. 24/7 Wall St. examined data from the Federal Trade Commission to identify states with the highest rates of identity theft.
They note that the numbers may differ slightly from state to state due to the protections implemented in those states. They also explain their methodology:
To identify the 10 states with the most identity theft, 24/7 Wall St. checked calendar year 2015 data from the FTC’s Sentinel Network Data Book, which compiled the total number of fraud complaints in each state. These complaints are classified as either identity theft or the second category, which includes all other types of fraud. The average amount stolen from the victims of the fraud also came from the Federal Trade Commission. Fines and sanctions for identity theft in each state have been enacted by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
They estimated the states per capita and found that Missouri had the highest rate of identity theft complaints: 22,164, or 364.3 complaints per 100,000 people. The average amount stolen was $ 931. Connecticut and Florida also recorded a large number of complaints – 225 and 217 complaints per 100,000 people, respectively.
Here are the top five on their list:
1. Missouri
> Complaints about identity theft per 100,000: 364.3> Total complaints about identity theft: 22,164 (5th place)> Complaints about fraud and other complaints per 100,000: 609 (17th place)> Avg. amount stolen: $ 931 (18th place)
2. Connecticut
> Complaints about identity theft per 100,000: 225.0> Total complaints about identity theft: 8,078 (18th place)> Complaints about fraud and other complaints per 100,000: 554 (22nd place)> Avg. amount stolen: $ 1,182 (11th place)
3. Florida
> Complaints about identity theft per 100,000: 217.4> Total complaints about identity theft: 44,063 (2nd place)> Complaints of fraud and other complaints per 100,000: 1,510 (highest)> Avg. amount stolen: $ 1,050 (22nd place)
4. Maryland
> Complaints about identity theft per 100,000: 183.2> Total complaints about identity theft: 11,006 (12th place)> Complaints about fraud and other complaints per 100,000: 749 (13th place)> Avg. amount stolen: $ 973 (24th place)
5. Illinois
> Complaints about identity theft per 100,000: 158.7> Total complaints about identity theft: 20,414 (6th place)> Complaints about fraud and other complaints per 100,000: 517 (9th place)> Avg. amount stolen: $ 907 (15th place)
They offer a lot of additional information on each state in their full list. For more details and the rest of the list, follow the link below.
Top 10 States With Most Identity Theft | 24/7 Wall St.