In its latest trend report, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) says that for victims of identity crimes and compromises, fraud and scams have reached levels that haven’t been seen in the last 20 years.
The ITRC said the biggest increases in the last year shook out like this:
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Reports from victims of non-financial account takeover (235% increase over 2020)
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Social media account takeover (1,044% increase over 2020)
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Identity misuse involving government credentials or accounts (154% increase from 2019-2020 and 7% increase from 2020 to 2021)
When it comes to the targets identity thieves are looking for, the three largest are public agency information such as unemployment, SBA/PPP Loan, IRS info; financial info like checking/savings accounts, credit cards; and, thirdly, medical accounts.
“When we look back on 2021, it was a record-breaking year in so many different areas,” said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “We saw many different forms of identity crimes reach levels we have not seen since we were founded in 1999. With high water marks for identity fraud, compromises, and misuse, it’s important to take protective measures.”
The sad but true adventures of an identity thief
The stories that the ITRC told in its report are pretty sad. One tale of woe came from a victim who said someone tried to apply for a credit card with his child’s personal information.
Another said they received a…
