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Debt.com’s third annual survey shows about half of Americans are victims of identity theft – and it’s cratering credit scores.
For the first time, almost half of all Americans have been a victim of identity theft.
December is Identity Theft Awareness Month, and for the past three years, Debt.com has polled Americans about the most common crime in the country. According to this year’s results, it’s more frequent than ever, with 49.22% of respondents saying they have been victims. This is nearly 10% increase from 2021.
Nearly half of respondents said identity theft cost them up to $500. That might explain why almost 1 in 5 (17%) took on more than $500 of debt due to the crime.
Credit scores also took a hit. Over 40% said their credit score dropped as a result of identity theft. In 2022, it was 31%.
A significant number of those polled had their credit scores drop by up to 100 points:
Money lost in 2022:
2023 – 38%
2022 – 32%
2021 – 34%
Mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, PA, DE, and MD) report the highest number of identity theft victims, while the New England states (MA, ME, CT, NH, RI and VT) have the lowest rate of incidences. Pacific states (CA, OR, WA, AK and HI) come in second and third is the South Atlantic region (FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, WV, and DC).
Mid-Atlantic states experience the highest amount of identity theft.
Region
States (breakdown defined by the U.S. Census Bureau)
Middle Atlantic
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
Pacific
California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii
South Atlantic
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia
East North Central
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
West South Central
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Mountain
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
East South Central
Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
West North Central
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
New England
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
For full survey results, click here
Have you ever been a victim of identity theft?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
49.22%
50.78%
If yes, how did you feel when you realized your identity was stolen?
Percentage of respondents
Vulnerable, I was nervous about what could happen to my finances.
69.05%
Apathetic, identity theft is so common. I was sure the problem would resolve itself.
17.66%
Embarrassed, I couldn’t believe I didn’t do more to protect myself.
25.99%
Paranoid, I became more conscientious of where I used my credit card information online and in stores.
36.71%
Proactive, I called every credit card company and financial service to report the loss. I immediately purchased ID theft protection.
24.40%
N/A
2.18%
If yes, how much money did this theft cost you, in both money lost and money spent fixing the problem?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$50
21.23%
$51-$500
28.17%
$501-$1,000
18.06%
$1,001-$2,500
11.11%
$2,501-$4,000
5.75%
$4,001-$5,500
4.56%
$5,501-$7,000
3.57%
$7,001 or more
4.56%
N/A
2.98%
Did your identity theft cause you to go into debt?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
35.52%
60.91%
3.57%
If yes, how much debt did you take on due to identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$250
17.66%
$251-$500
20.44%
$501 or more
17.06%
N/A
44.84%
What type of identity theft did you suffer from?
Percentage of respondents
Bank fraud
19.84%
Credit card fraud
50.40%
Loan fraud
5.56%
Phone fraud
5.75%
Phishing scam
6.15%
Tax fraud
3.17%
Other
7.74%
N/A
1.39%
Were you surprised to find you were a target of identity theft?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
79.37%
17.66%
2.98%
Has identity theft had a negative impact on your credit score?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
41.47%
54.17%
4.37%
If yes, how much did your credit score drop because of your identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
Not at all
24.80%
10-20 point drop
13.69%
21-50 point drop
12.90%
51-100 point drop
10.91%
101-200 point drop
5.56%
My credit score dropped more than 200 points
3.57%
N/A
28.57%
Do you currently use a credit monitoring or identity theft protection service?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
73.02%
26.98%
For full 2022 survey results, click here
Have you ever been a victim of identity theft?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
45.45%
54.55%
If yes, how did you feel when you realized your identity was stolen?
Percentage of respondents
Vulnerable, I was nervous about what could happen to my finances.
63.26%
Apathetic, identity theft is so common. I was sure the problem would resolve itself.
15.03%
Embarrassed, I couldn’t believe I didn’t do more to protect myself.
17.54%
Paranoid, I became more conscientious of where I used my credit card information online and in stores.
34.03%
Proactive, I called every credit card company and financial service to report the loss. I immediately purchased ID theft protection.
22.55%
N/A
3.13%
If yes, how much money did this theft cost you, in both money lost and money spent fixing the problem?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$50
27.14%
$51-$500
29.65%
$501-$1,000
16.70%
$1,001-$2,500
9.39%
$2,501-$4,000
5.85%
$4,001-$5,500
1.46%
$5,501-$7,000
2.30%
$7,001 or more
2.51%
N/A
5.01%
Did your identity theft cause you to go into debt?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
24.63%
71.61%
3.76%
If yes, how much debt did you take on due to identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$250
19.83%
$251-$500
17.12%
$501 or more
11.90%
N/A
51.15%
What type of identity theft did you suffer from?
Percentage of respondents
Bank fraud
17.33%
Credit card fraud
51.98%
Loan fraud
3.76%
Phone fraud
7.10%
Phishing scam
4.59%
Tax fraud
2.51%
Other
10.44%
N/A
2.30%
Were you surprised to find you were a target of identity theft?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
78.50%
17.95%
3.55%
Has identity theft had a negative impact on your credit score?
Yes
No
N/A
Percentage of respondents
31.11%
63.05%
5.85%
If yes, how much did your credit score drop because of your identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
Not at all
30.27%
10-20 point drop
11.27%
21-50 point drop
12.94%
51-100 point drop
7.72%
101-200 point drop
1.88%
My credit score dropped more than 200 points
1.88%
N/A
34.03%
Do you currently use a credit monitoring or identity theft protection service?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
61.59%
38.41%
For full 2021 survey results, click here
Have you ever been a victim of identity theft?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
40.81%
59.19%
If yes, how much money did this theft cost you, in both money lost and money spent fixing the problem?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$50
18.50%
$50-$500
21.99%
$500-$1,000
20.77%
$1,000-$2,500
14.83%
$2,500-$4,000
7.33%
$4,000-$5,500
3.84%
$5,500-$7,000
1.40%
$7,000 or more
3.84%
N/A
7.50%
Did your identity theft cause you to go into debt?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
31.59%
68.41%
If yes, how much debt did you take on due to identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
$0-$250
17.45%
$250-$500
17.28%
$500 or more
14.14%
N/A
51.13%
What type of identity theft did you suffer from?
Percentage of respondents
Bank fraud
19.02%
Credit card fraud
45.90%
Loan fraud
6.63%
Phone fraud
6.81%
Phishing scam
6.98%
Tax fraud
4.54%
Other
8.03%
N/A
2.09%
Were you surprised to find you were a target of identity theft?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
83.77%
16.23%
Has identity theft had a negative impact on your credit score?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
38.57%
61.43%
If yes, how much did your credit score drop because of your identity theft?
Percentage of respondents
Not at all
56.72%
10-20 point drop
12.39%
21-50 point drop
13.79%
51-100 point drop
8.90%
101-200 point drop
3.84%
My credit score dropped more than 200 points
4.36%
Do you currently use a credit monitoring or identity theft protection service?
Yes
No
Percentage of respondents
63.53%
36.47%
Survey Methodology: Debt.com: Do-It-Yourself Guidance plus Professional Debt Help surveyed 1,025 people asking 10 questions related to identity theft. People responded from all 50 states and Washington, DC, were aged 18 and older, and the population split is weighted against the US census. The survey was conducted on Nov. 24, 2023.