In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 1 million reports of identity theft. However, the actual number of victims is likely higher because many people don’t report being victims of identity theft.
In Australia, around 4 to 5% of people experience identity crime each year, which is about 750,000 to 937,000 people. However, the true number of victims is likely unknown because many incidents go unreported.
In 2023, consumers reported losing $10 billion to scams and fraud, which is up from $9 billion in 2022.
Cybercriminals are posing an increasing threat, with the number of data breaches in the United States increasing by 15% between 2022 and 2023.
How to protect yourself from Identity Theft
- Monitor Your Statements and Credit Reports
- Don’t Share Personally Identifiable Information
- Earmark One Credit Card for Online Purchases
- Destroy your old hard drives
- Shred Your Documents.
- Protect Your Mobile Phone
- Be Suspicious of Unknown Callers
- Tread Lightly with Email and Texts
