Identity theft is on the rise in America. Every day, thousands of Americans fall victim to this illicit practice. And although there are ways for identity theft victims to clean up the mess caused by fraudsters, it can take years to get things back on track following the theft of one’s identity. Everyone is at risk for identity theft. However, some people are more vulnerable than others. Below are some of the main factors that can put you at risk for identity theft.
Age
Your age can put you at risk for identity theft. The three main age groups at the highest risk of identity theft are the elderly, children, and college students. Although it may be surprising that children are often the victims of identity theft, children are more than 50 times more likely to be identity theft victims than adults.
Education and Income
People with college degrees are roughly 10 percent more likely to be victims of identity theft than those with some or no college education. Also, the higher one’s income is, the more likely he or she is to be a victim of identity theft.
Location
The state you live in can affect your odds of becoming a victim of identity theft. Residents in the following states are at high risk for identity theft:
- Florida
- The District of Columbia
- California
- Massachusetts
- Nevada
- Illinois
- Texas
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Connecticut
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
To protect yourself from identity theft, you should take the following steps
- Be careful what you share online. Any time you share personal information on the internet, you increase your risk of becoming an identity theft victim.
- Change your passwords often. Password breaches are a common form of identity theft. Therefore, you should choose complicated passwords and change them often.
- Be careful offline. Identity theft isn’t just an online phenomenon. Therefore, you should never share personal information with people you don’t know.
- Protect your phone. Finally, you should only use apps on your phone that use industry-grade encryption methods. Also, you should make sure your phone is password protected.
Contact a Consumer Class Action Attorney Today!
If you are an identity theft victim, you need an experienced consumer class action attorney in your corner. Identify theft is often caused by the negligent actions of businesses and other financial organizations that store or have access to your information. When a business or other entity provides a party with unauthorized access to your personal information, our talented attorneys will work hard to ensure that you receive financial compensation for your losses. Our talented attorneys have extensive litigation, investigative, and trial experience, which means that we have what it takes to succeed in your consumer class action lawsuit. Please contact us today to schedule a consultation.