Given the pace the online world operates at, the vulnerabilities of users are continuously being exploited by cyber criminals at a commensurate pace. Identity theft has emerged as one of the most serious and prevalent forms of cybercrime, especially for e-commerce customers. As these identity theft statistics we put together show, a substantial portion of information stolen in corporate data breaches subsequently results in further identity theft incidents.
While there is no part of the world completely untouched by the issue of identity thefts, the United States has maintained its unenviable position as the favorite target of global cyber crime. Because of this, and also because a bulk of the reliable data on identity thefts pertains to USA, we have assigned special focus to ID theft crimes in the country, as tracked by agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Identity Theft Resource Center. This section answers important questions like “How many Americans are victims of identity theft each year?”
After covering some data on different types of identity thefts, the final section is related to consumer and business attitudes towards cyber crime. Despite growing awareness of the basic steps one needs to take to ensure some degree of safety, a surprisingly high number of respondents in various surveys betray resistance to adopting these measures.
We are sure these carefully collected data points will help you develop a clearer understanding of the identity theft problem, including its extent, impact, causes, and possible means of control.
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