States With the Most and Least Identity Theft

• Georgia has the highest identity theft rate, while South Dakota has the lowest.
• Overall, states with higher populations had greater rates of identity theft. 
• If you live in a state where identity theft is common, consider buying identity theft protection.

Overview of identity theft in the U.S.

Identity theft is when a fraudster steals your personal information and uses it to steal your money, open credit accounts, make unauthorized purchases, or make health insurance claims without your consent.

Your identity is one of your most valuable assets, making it a common theft target. According to its annual fraud report, the Federal Trade Commission received over 1 million identity theft reports in 2023. The same report also reveals the states that produced the most identity theft reports as of February 2024.

Why is identity theft prevalent?

Identity theft is often a crime of opportunity. It is prevalent because it can happen without being face-to-face. Identity theft can happen online while shopping or by skimming at an ATM. While you don't necessarily need the best identity theft protection services, taking steps to secure your identity can go a long way toward preventing identity theft. This is especially true if you live in one of these states with the most identity theft.

10 states with the most identity theft

The FTC report organizes states by identity theft cases reported per 100,000 people. This means that while the top states might not have the most identity theft reports overall, they have the highest rate of identity theft. It's also worth noting that the FTC only included reported identity theft cases. The true number of identity theft incidents in the US is likely much higher.

Notably, Southern states took up most of this list in 2022, occupying six of 10 spots. In 2023, Northeastern states saw a jump in identity theft incidents per capita, such as Connecticut, Delaware, and Massachusetts.

Note: If included, Washington, DC, would be at the top of the list with 478 reports per 100,000 people and 3,268 total reports of identity theft.

10 states with the least identity theft

The states with the lowest rates of identity theft are as follows:

It's difficult to find a trend that holds true for all states, indicating some kind of correlation. For example, while older consumers are often thought to be more vulnerable than younger people, Maine has one of the lowest rates of identity theft despite having the highest median age of all states at 45.1 years old. 

It's worth noting that the states with the lowest rates of identity theft also have relatively lower populations.

How to protect yourself from identity theft

Reducing the risk of identity theft is primarily a process of practicing good data hygiene. This means shredding sensitive documents when you toss them. You should be using antivirus software on your computer, which comes with identity protection services like IdentityForce and LifeLock. You should also use complex, unique passwords for your important online accounts.

You can also freeze your credit, preventing new lenders from pulling your credit reports for any purpose. Credit freezes prevent bad actors from taking out loans in your name by barring would-be lenders from accessing your credit reports. The three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — have their own version of this feature called a credit lock, which works similarly to a credit freeze. Experian and TransUnion's credit locking services also come with $1 million in identity theft insurance. 

You can place a fraud alert on your credit for free. This service, which goes through the credit bureaus, acts as a red flag for lenders, prompting them to confirm your identity before extending credit. However, fraud alerts only last a year before you need to renew them. 

While avoiding identity theft is the best-case scenario, the second-best scenario is catching identity theft early. This is where credit monitoring services come in handy. They will alert you of any changes in your credit report when they occur, such as a loan taken out in your name. You may have a credit card with identity theft protection or some credit monitoring capabilities. The best credit monitoring services are also free.

Certain identity theft protection services like Aura and IDShield have experts who can help you recover from identity theft. They also offer family plans to protect your children against child identity theft.

Impact of identity theft on victims

Identity theft can have serious consequences, including financial and credit score impacts.

Financial: Identity thieves can use your information to open new accounts, take money from your bank accounts, run up credit card charges, or make purchases in your name. 

Credit: Identity theft can also negatively impact your credit, lower your credit score, and even get you sued for debts you do not owe.

How to report identity theft

You may have done everything right. You shredded every sensitive document. You have individual randomly generated passwords on each of your accounts. You pay for the top antivirus software. And yet, one day, you get a notification from your top-of-the-line credit monitoring service that a hard inquiry has been added to your credit report without your knowledge. 

Once the frustration and panic fade, the first thing you should do is file a report with the Federal Trade Commission through IdentityTheft.gov. You should also notify any parties involved, such as a creditor that issued credit to the fraudster. You will need to inform the credit bureaus. Once you report fraud to one bureau, that bureau must inform the others.

As a victim of identity theft, you have a handful of rights that you can exercise. You can place a 90-day initial fraud alert on your credit, requiring lenders to take reasonable steps to confirm your identity (usually a phone call) before issuing new credit. Once you place this fraud alert, you can read your credit reports from all three credit bureaus for free. You are allowed to dispute any fraudulent information on those credit reports, which the bureaus are required to investigate. They must amend your report if it's indeed fraudulent.

Note: If you report identity theft over the phone, you will not get an identity theft report, which can be important documentation when you go to the credit bureaus.

You can also place an extended fraud alert on your credit, which works like that 90-day initial fraud alert but lasts for seven years. To qualify for this fraud alert, you will need an identity theft report from your online or mail filing.

Frequently asked questions about identity theft

Jennifer Streaks

Senior Personal Finance Reporter and Spokesperson

Jennifer Streaks is a Personal Finance Expert and Journalist who writes about credit and all things money for Business Insider. Committed to financial literacy and economic empowerment, she has covered financial topics for over a decade, writing about her own experiences and sharing her expertise to give consumers actionable financial advice.Along with exploring credit scores, credit reports, and how to build credit, Jennifer analyzes how current economic trends impact everyday people and offers her expert advice on budgeting, saving, and growing wealth in today’s economy. She regularly appears as an on-air financial commentator on programs like Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, CBS, and MSNBC.ExperienceBefore joining Business Insider, Jennifer was a financial contributor for CNBC and covered personal finance, entrepreneurship, tech, and the economy for Forbes. Her work has appeared in TheGrio, Black Enterprise, and USA Today. Jennifer is also the author of "Thrive! ... Affordably: Your Month-to-Month Guide to Living Your Best Life Without Breaking the Bank." The book offers advice, tips, and financial management lessons geared toward helping the reader highlight strengths, identify missteps, and take control of their finances.Jennifer’s most important financial advice to her friends is to always have an emergency fund.ExpertiseJennifer’s expertise includes:

• Credit scores
• Credit history
• Credit reports
• Budgeting
• Saving 
• Housing 
• Retirement
• The economy
• Financial trends

EducationJennifer earned an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business and completed the Wharton Seminar for Business Journalists.Jennifer is based in New York City.

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