>Just the facts

Identity Theft Numbers Speak Volumes: Don’t be a statistic

It can be tough to find accurate and up-to-date statistics about identity theft – the crimes vary widely in seriousness and method, and many people don't report or recognize them for years, if ever. But the numbers that do emerge paint a picture of a growing crime, which costs citizens considerable time, money and emotional energy.

Do not become a statistic. Use the many Protection Power resources available to protect yourself, your data and your finances.

Phonebusters.com, the Canadian anti-fraud call centre, reports that Canadians lost $10.9 million due to identity theft in 2009 (that number was $6.45 million in 2007).

1 in 6 Canadians have already been the victim of identity theft, according to a survey completed for the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's office and released in early 2010.

From McMaster eBusiness Learning Centre:

  • 6.5% of Canadian adults, or almost 1.7 million people, were the victim of identity fraud in 2007 alone

  • the victims spent over 20 million hours and more than $150 million to resolve problems associated with these frauds

  • half of these cases involved unauthorized purchases on credit cards

  • very few of the cases of identity fraud were reported to the police (13%), credit reporting agencies (6%) or PhoneBusters, the RCMP/OPP fraud reporting agency (0.5%) (even at these low numbers, PhoneBusters reports 10,079 cases of ID theft in Canada in the first nine months of 2009)

From Spamlaws.com (Canada):

  • Credit card fraud costs cardholders and credit card issuers as much as $500 million a year

  • Counterfeit cards account for 37% of these lost funds. Fake cards are often made through the use of “skimmers”

  • Identity theft fraud – when a criminal applies for a credit card using another individual's personal information – accounts for 4% of the lost funds.

  • 10% of credit card scams happen over the phone, when a caller asks for credit card numbers; 7% happen because of theft from a mailbox

The emotional scars

A survey conducted in September 2009 by Harris Interactive for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (US) asked consumers what their greatest concerns would be if they were to become a victim of identity theft.

  • 75% said their greatest concern would be not knowing who has their personal information.

  • 65% said their greatest concern would be becoming a victim of ID theft again.

  • 56% worry the identity thief knows where they live

“Identity theft victimization violates consumers on many levels. Whereas people previously may have focused on the inconvenience and financial side of recovery, we now know that consumers also associate great personal insecurity with this crime,” said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC. 

In the United States

  • Nearly 10 million Americans fell victim to identity theft fraud in 2009 (Javelin Strategy and Research)

  • Identity thefts in 2009 totalled $48 billion dollars (Javelin Strategy and Research)

In Australia

The Veda Advantage Identity Crimes Report, conducted by Galaxy Research, hit the media Oct. 1, 2009. It turned up some timely numbers:

  • More than 1 in 5 Australians aged 16 years or older reported they had been a victim of identity theft or similar crime 

  • Almost 10% of Australians had credit cards stolen or illegally skimmed

  • About 7% had bank accounts illegally accessed

  • People aged 24-49 are most impacted by mail theft

  • 34% of surveyed Australians reported losing their wallet or purse

The same company commissioned a similar survey in April 2009, which shows how identity theft is on the rise:

  • 4.4 million Australians (26%) reported being affected by identity theft in 2009, compared to 3.8 million (23%) in 2008

  • 70% of Australians had failed to take even simple measures to protect their identity

There are many simple things you can do to ensure you don’t become an identity theft statistic. Protect yourself against identity theft by adopting common-sense habits, keeping close watch on your personal information, and taking full advantage of Protection Power’s resources.

ID theft doesn’t have to be the fastest growing crime in North America. Don't delay! Protection Power memnership offers identity-theft fighting tools and information for all Canadians.

 

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