Government Report Finds Fewer Victims Of Identity Theft
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WASHINGTON – An estimated 3.6 million American households – or about three out of every 100 – reported being victims of identity theft, according to a government study that counted misuse of someone else’s cell phone, credit card, or personal information.
The figures released yesterday by the Justice Department differ from findings of a previous government study that counted 9.3 million victims of the crime.
The department said the most frequent victims of identity theft were households headed by people age 18 to 24; those in urban or suburban areas; and those with incomes of at least $75,000.
The study was based on interviews with members of 42,000 randomly selected households over the last half of 2004, said Katrina Baum, a statistician with the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
The bureau defined identity theft in three ways:
Of the 3.6 million victimized households, the study said:
* An estimated 1.7 million discovered unauthorized use of credit cards during the six-month period.
* About 900,000 households experienced theft from other types of existing accounts, such as a cell phone account, bank account, or debit-checking account.
* Roughly 540,000 households said someone had misused personal information of someone in the home to open new accounts, get loans or commit other crimes.
