NEW YORK, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bankrate, Inc. today released the findings of a national poll which found that 8 out of 10 Americans are concerned about their identity being stolen. Furthermore, over one-third (34%) of Americans know someone who has been a victim of identity theft. The poll is included in this month's segment of Bankrate's Financial Literacy Series: Protect your identity. To view Bankrate's Financial Literacy 2008 - Guide to Building Personal Wealth, go to http://www.bankrate.com/financialliteracy.
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According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were approximately 800,000 consumer complaints filed in 2007. Of those complaints, 32 percent involved identity theft. The total dollar amount in reported fraud losses was over $1.2 billion.
"Identity theft is a growing concern among Americans, but there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves," said Julie Bandy, editor in chief at Bankrate.com. "Bankrate's guide prepares consumers with the advice they need to keep their assets safe and protect their identity," Bandy added.
Other key findings of the poll include:
* Of the 77 percent of respondents that have Internet service, 36 percent
avoid Internet shopping.
* Eight out of 10 Americans express worry about having their identity
stolen.
* 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%), versus those who are not
concerned (52%). 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 the unconcerned
variety.
* 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.
The national random-digit-dialed phone study of 1,006 adults 18 or older was conducted for Bankrate by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. The surveys were conducted from April 4, 2008 through April 6, 2008. The sample was weighted by demographic factors including age, gender, race, education and census region to ensure reliable and accurate representation of adults in U.S. households. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points.
April's Financial Literacy segment contains helpful articles and tools including:
Overview
The costs of ID theft to consumers, society
Safeguard your Social Security number
8 tips to limit your exposure to ID theft
Risks of online public records
Take Action
10 tips to computer security
How to surf and shop safely
Already a victim? Follow these 12 steps
7 easy ways to lose your identity
Do-it-yourself vs. ID theft protection services
Spotlight
Q&A interviews with notable experts on the subject of ID theft, including:
Chris Jay Hoofnagle, Berkeley School of Law and nationally recognized
expert in information privacy law
Linda Foley, founder and chairman of the board of the Identity Theft
Resource Center
Bob Sullivan, author of "Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft
Epidemic"
Poll
National Poll: Americans worry about identity theft
Online Poll: Is ID theft on your radar screen?
Tools and Resources
Worksheets
Glossary of terms
Helpful links
About Bankrate, Inc.
The Bankrate network of companies includes Bankrate.com, Interest.com, Mortgage-calc.com, Nationwide Card Services, Savingforcollege.com, Fee Disclosure and InsureMe. Each of these businesses helps consumers to make informed decisions about their personal finance matters. The company's flagship brand, Bankrate.com is a destination site of personal finance channels, including banking, investing, taxes, debt management and college finance. Bankrate.com is the leading aggregator of rates and other information on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used auto loans, money market accounts and CDs, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees. Bankrate.com reviews more than 4,800 financial institutions in 575 markets in 50 states. In 2007, Bankrate.com had nearly 60 million unique visitors. Bankrate.com provides financial applications and information to a network of more than 75 partners, including Yahoo! , America Online , The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times . Bankrate.com's information is also distributed through more than 500 newspapers.
For more information contact:
Kayleen J. Keneally
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications kkeneally@bankrate.com
(917) 368-8677
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