MIAMI.- Identity breaches have compromised the personal information and financial security of many people in the country During the last years.
Florida is the third most likely state to be victims of fraud and identity theft, according to the analysis, which compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 14 key indicators ranging from identity theft complaints per capita and fraud complaints up to the average amount of loss due to fraud.
The Sunshine State earned an overall score of 72.09. Additionally, there were 524 identity theft complaints and 1,446 fraud complaints filed per 100,000 residents in 2023, some of the highest numbers in the country. Which is probably due in part to the fact that it has such a high population of seniors.
It was one of the only states where identity theft complaints increased last year (by 1.75%); while most states had fairly large decreases, the website noted.
Identity theft and fraud cost Americans billions of dollars each year. Citizens reported losing 30% more money due to fraud in 2023 compared to the previous year, a total of nearly $8.8 million in losses nationwide.
In Florida, the average loss due to fraud in 2023 was around $800 million, which especially impacts many residents when they are retired and on a fixed income.
One of the most notable attacks this year was the data breach of file transfer platform MOVEit, with an estimated cost so far of more than $13.7 billion. This data breach has affected more than 2,600 organizations and more than 83 million people worldwide from large financial companies, organizations, and professional and educational service providers.
States most vulnerable to fraud and identity theft
He D.C. tops the list of places most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud with a score of 74.9. There were 1,747 fraud complaints locally per 100,000 residents this year, more than anywhere else in the nation.
The second position is occupied Delaware with a rating of 73.83, as it experienced a nearly 7% increase in fraud complaints per 100,000 residents.
Delaware has the highest proportion of people arrested for fraud per capita, according to data collected by Wallethub.
In fourth place is Nevada with 70.91 points. Silver status ranked fourth in identity theft complaints per person and sixth in identity theft rank.
Fifth place goes to Georgiaa state that scored 67.91 and has the highest number of identity theft complaints and the second highest number of fraud complaints per 100,000 people in the nation.
The top 10 most vulnerable states are completed by:
6. South Carolina, with a score of 63.96
7. Maryland, with a score of 62.85
8. California, with a score of 61.70
10. Texas, with a score of 58.71
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said, “Regardless of whether you live in one of the most vulnerable states, protecting yourself against identity theft and fraud is extremely important to people’s financial security.”
In this regard, the expert recommended some simple steps that Americans can take to protect themselves, including monitoring their credit and non-credit accounts regularly, being careful who you give your personal information to, and making sure that other people do not access to your devices.
The data used to create this ranking was obtained from the Federal Trade Commission, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Experian Information Solutions, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
@Lydr05
Source: With information from personal finance website WalletHub
