CyberScout, a leading provider of identity theft management, resolution and educational services, released a new report today revealing the true number of state identity theft victims is nearly 48 percent higher than current Federal Trade Commission numbers suggest. Findings include:
Approximately 254,095 Washington residents fell victim to fraud in 2006, which equals the populations of Bellevue, Redmond and Renton, WA. The FTC says 5,336 state residents were victims.
- Identity theft cost Washington victims an estimated $1.22 billion last year.
- Washington residents spent a total of 7.7 million hours resolving identity theft issues.
- An estimated18.9 percent (nearly one in five) of Washington residents have been victims of identity theft in the last five years.
The report highlights new types of identity theft, tracks the costs and includes interviews with top state leaders including Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and senior deputy prosecutor from King County, Susan Storey.
“Every day, more and more consumers become silent victims,” said Steve Christenson, president of CyberScout. “Washingtonians have lost an estimated $5.8 billion to identity thieves in the last half-decade and they’ve spent a total of 36.2 million hours trying to restore their credit and regain their lives.”
This white paper is part a series of ongoing reports from CyberScout to educate and inform consumers on one of the fastest growing forms of crime today. For a copy of the full white paper call 212-752-8338.
