EAGAN, Minn., Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- One-third of American adults say they have had their identity stolen, according to a new national survey by FindLaw.com, the most popular legal information website.
Twenty-nine percent of Americans say they have had their identity stolen. Approximately ten percent of Americans report having their identity stolen more than once.
According to the FindLaw.com survey, the commonly reported types of identity theft are:
Credit card lost or stolen | 11% |
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Stolen by online purchase | 7% |
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ID stolen (e.g,, drivers license) | 6% |
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Stolen by computer virus or hacker | 4% |
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Friend, relative or acquaintance tried to pass themselves off as you | 4% |
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Stolen but not sure how | 6% |
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Other | 3% |
Identity theft is most commonly reported among young people. People between the ages of 18 and 24 are the most likely to report having been victims of identity theft, while people age 65 and older are the least likely. Men and women report equal rates of identity theft.
"While many people worry about online identity theft, such as hackers, the most commonly reported identity theft simply involves having your credit card, driver's license or other ID lost or stolen," said Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney-editor at FindLaw.com. "With nearly one-third of people reporting having had their identity stolen – both online and offline -- it's important to know how to protect yourself and what to do if you believe your identity has been stolen to protect your personal and financial information."
Free information on how to protect yourself against identity theft, including how to detect identity theft, what to do if you believe your identity has been stolen, whether you are liable for unauthorized credit card charges and more can be found at FindLaw's Consumer Protection Center (http://consumer.findlaw.com/)
The FindLaw.com survey was conducted using a demographically balanced survey of 1000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent.
Note to editors: Full survey results and analysis are available upon request.
FindLaw
FindLaw, part of Thomson Reuters, is a leading provider of business development solutions for small law firms. Through its team of legal marketing experts, FindLaw drives the industry by delivering a comprehensive portfolio of proven online and offline marketing solutions designed to connect law firms with targeted prospective clients. FindLaw is also home to the largest online directory of lawyers and FindLaw.com (www.FindLaw.com), the most popular legal website with more than six million people visiting each month for free information about a legal topic, to solve a legal problem or to find a lawyer.
Thomson Reuters
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CONTACT
Alex Cook
FindLaw
651-687-6319
alex.cook@thomsonreuters.com
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SOURCE FindLaw.com