New Yorkers most vulnerable to ID theft

Feb 20, 2007 3:23 PM

           

It seems ID thieves are taking a big bite out of the Big Apple. New York has the highest rate of identity fraud, followed by California, Nevada and Arizona, according to research from ID Analytics Inc. The research finds that Wyoming, Vermont and Montana have the lowest rates.

The research is the first to be based on actual and attempted frauds rather than on consumer victim reports, the San Diego-based company says.

"It is significant that these are the first publicly-available, statistically valid research findings based on actual data about frauds. Previous research from other sources has had to rely on consumer victim reports, which are, by their nature, incomplete," says Stephen Coggeshall, ID Analytics' chief technology officer and the author of the research. "What's most meaningful about these findings is that they can help identify specific areas where identity criminals may be operating in an organized manner. We've actually analyzed the data down to the 5-digit zip code level which gives precise visibility into concentrations of identity fraud, which may indicate fraud rings or some other criminal activity."

The ten states with the highest rates of identity fraud are, in order: New York, California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Hawaii, Oregon, Michigan, Washington and Texas. The ten states with the lowest rates of identity fraud are, in order: Wyoming, Vermont, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Maine, Iowa, West Virginia and South Dakota.

When examined at a 3-digit zip code level, the ten metropolitan areas with the highest identity fraud rates are, in order: New York; Detroit; Los Angeles; Little Rock, Ark.; Greenville, Miss.; Atlanta; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Dallas; and Springfield, Ill.

"It is our hope that businesses will use this new research to further bolster their efforts in the fight against identity fraud, and that consumers living in these areas will be especially vigilant in protecting themselves," says Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Fraud rates were calculated based on the total number of reported identity frauds divided by the number of applications; as a result, the population density was scaled out, enabling comparisons among areas with differing populations.

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