Americans Worry About Becoming ID Theft Victims

A majority of Americans worry about becoming victims of identity theft, according to a poll released by Bankrate yesterday. Of those surveyed, 8 in 10 say they’re concerned about identity theft.Here are some other stats from the poll of 1,006 Americans: One-third of Americans (34 percent) know someone who has been a victim of identity theft. In the Northeast, it’s closer to one in four (28 percent) while in the West almost one in two people (44 percent) know an ID theft victim.

Respondents who reported themselves as concerned about identity theft were more likely to shred documents, (82 percent), versus those who are not concerned (52 percent). Notably, people who are uneasy about identity theft were much more likely to keep tabs on their credit reports. Fifty-three percent of concerned folks do it versus 30 percent of those not concerned.
Women (83 percent) were significantly more likely to destroy sensitive information than men (69 percent).
Only two out of 10 Americans (19 percent) have used the new credit freeze services to protect their credit.
The Internet tops the list of ID theft anxiety-instigators, with 45 percent of people fearing online fraud the most, while 25 percent rank leaks from businesses as their primary concern.
Out of those who answered the survey, 77 percent have Internet access. Of those with Internet, 36 percent say they try to protect themselves from fraud by not shopping on the Internet. Nearly half, 48 percent, avoid online banking. Make sure to keep your personal information safe.