Yes, identity fraud is SO common that someone becomes a victim every two seconds. The 2014 Identity Fraud Study, as reported on javelinstrategy.com, turned up some alarming results.
Though the dollar amount stolen had decreased over the year preceding the study, the number of victims had increased. People at highest risk were ages 35 to 44.
Account takeover AND mdash;when the thief takes over a pre-existing account AND mdash;made up 28 percent of ID fraud losses in 2013. But the greatest risk factor for becoming a victim of identity fraud is the data breach. In that year, 30 percent of people who were notified of a data breach became an ID fraud victim.
Identity fraud is associated with credit cards, but this type of crime can also involve hijacking someone AND rsquo;s PayPal account, or account on Amazon and eBay.
How to Protect Yourself
Javelin Strategy AND amp; Research, who conducted the study, recommends the following:
Never use public Wi-Fi (at least use a VPN)
Shred old sensitive documents.
Change the passwords on all of your accounts often.
See which accounts offer two-factor authentication, then set it up. This way you AND rsquo;ll know if an unauthorized person is trying to access your account.identity fraudidentity proofingidentity protectionIdentity Theftidentity theft prevention
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