Five Fast Facts About Identity Theft

American Investment Planners LLC

500 North Broadway, Suite 260, Jericho, NY 11753

(516) 932-5130 / (866) 932-5130

By now you probably have a good understanding about identity theft (especially if you've been keeping up with our blog, where we've been sharing all kinds of information on this topic), but aside from tips on how to protect yourself and steps to take if you become a victim, we want to get more specific - by this, we mean it's time to share some statistics.

The following is a list of facts that we were able to compile after doing some research:

1. In 2015, identity theft complaints were the second most reported to the FTC, with tax or wage-related fraud being the most common form of identity theft at 45%. Credit card fraud came in second at 16%. 
2. In 2014, IBM reported that more than one billion records that contained personally identifiable information were leaked. 
3. 30% of identity theft victims are actually scammed by people who know them well - close friends of the family and even family members themselves. 
4. Every minute, 19 people find themselves to be a victim of identity theft.
5. Medical identity theft is also a huge issue and is one that is on the rise - in 2014 alone, 500,000 people experienced this.

As you can see through these numbers, identity theft is a serious issue that affects tons of people in various different ways. If you have questions about identity theft or are looking for more information on topics such as the types of attacks to be aware of as well as what you can do to stay safe, please continue to check out our blog, connect with us on social media, or contact us directly at (516) 932-5130. We can also be reached via email at info@americaninvestmentplanners.com.