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FEDERAL SURVEY: IDENTITY THEFT HITS 1 IN 4 U.S. HOUSEHOLDS
SCOPE OF CRIME MUCH WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

By Christine Dugas
USA TODAY
September 4, 2003

One in four U.S. households has been a victim of identity theft in the past five years, according to a report released Wednesday in which the federal government for the first time measures the full extent of the crime wave.

In the last year alone, 10 millions people were victimized, according to a survey of 4,000 adults sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. Identity theft cost victims $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses and nearly $48 billion in losses to businesses and financial institutions last year.

Identity theft can range from fraudulent charges on an existing credit card account to the use of a person’s identity to open a new account, take out a loan, rent an apartment or commit a crime.

"This report serves as a reality check by confirming that millions of consumers each year are falling victim to identify theft", says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearing-house, a non-profit consumer information and advocacy program.

Measuring the extent of identity theft has been difficult, in part, because people don’t always report the crime to authorities. Only about 25% of the victims who participated in the survey had filed a report with local police.

"Why is identity theft at epidemic proportions? It’s because lenders are making it too easy to get a credit."
- Beth Givens, director of Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

"We’ve been using estimates of 500,000 to 700,000 cases a year", Givens says. "You can toss those out the window"

Among the report’s findings:

Nearly 25% of all victims said their personal information, such as credit cards, checkbooks and Social Security cards, had been lost or stolen, according to the report.

Just 11% of the survey respondents said they were aware that their personal information had been taken before discovering they were victims of identity theft.

The incidence of identity theft was highest in the South and West and lowest in the Midwest.

One-quarter of the victims said the misuse of their information occurred in one day, and 12% said the crime occurred over a period of more than six months.

Many experts and privacy advocates say the FTC report underscores the need for tougher

legislations to combat the epidemic.

"Why is identity theft at epidemic proportions?" Givens says. "It’s because lenders are making it too easy to get credit, and they’re not doing a good enough job of examining applications."

Givens says that credit-reporting bureaus need to alert consumers of possible suspicious activity such as a charge in address. "Early detection is the key to recovery", she says.

The FTC provides advice to consumers, including a FREE BOOKLET, Identity theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name, which is available at www.ftc.gov.

Consumers also can report ID theft to the FTC by calling the agency’s toll-free number: 877-438-4338.

The secure database can be accessed by local law enforcement agencies.
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