A general misconception is that identity theft occurs primarily to either the middle-aged or to senior citizens. A recent report published with data from the Federal Trade Commission debunks this myth by clearly showing that the group most affected by this crime is college-aged individuals.
In the January-December 2008 report (PDF, 101 pages) compiled by the Consumer Sentinel Network, there were more than 300,000 identity-theft complaints registered in 2008, with 24 percent of complaints made by individuals from 20 to 29 years of age.
The Consumer Sentinel Network is a partnership between several federal-level law enforcement entities, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Their 2008 report is based on data from several cooperating federal agencies. Even though the report indicates 300,000 identity-theft complaints were registered, the FTC estimates that nearly 9 million U.S. citizens have their identity stolen each year.
Continue reading “8 million+ ID thefts target college-aged, but everyone needs prevention steps”
