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WalletHub study shows Kentuckians among the least vulnerable to identity theft


With the 2016 holday spending season in full swing, a new study from WalletHub shows Kentucky is the ninth least vulnerable state to identity theft and fraud.

December is National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month and 901 data breaches reported thus far in 2016, the free credit-monitoring website WalletHub released its in-depth analysis that identifies 2016’s States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud as well as an Identity Theft Guide.

To measure the level of susceptibility to such crimes for each state, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key metrics. The data set ranges from “identity-theft complaints per capita” to “average loss amount due to fraud.”

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Kentucky’s Vulnerability to Identity Theft & Fraud (1=Most Vulnerable; 25=Avg.)

47th – Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita
20th – Avg. Loss Amount Due to Online Identity Theft
35th – Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita
48th – Avg. Loss Amount Due to Fraud

For the full report, please visit this site.

The holiday season is traditionally a time for celebration and togetherness. But it’s also an opportunity for identity thieves and hackers to prey on millions of innocent consumers. After all, the most high-profile data breaches, such as cases involving Target in 2013 and Home Depot the following year, tend to occur during periods of elevated shopping activity — the reason December was declared National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s most recent Data Breach Report, 901 breaches with access to more than 34 million records have taken place thus far in 2016, and more are likely to be reported by the end of the year. Until 2015, identity theft was the top complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission for 15 consecutive years. And while more aggressive measures have been taken to improve the security of our personal information, criminal strategies constantly evolve and grow in sophistication, keeping consumers vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. Just how vulnerable, however, depends on the person’s state of residence.

In order to determine where Americans are most likely to be exposed to and affected by identity theft and fraud, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key indicators of susceptibility to such crimes, ranging from “identity-theft complaints per capita” to “average loss amount due to fraud.”

From WalletHub Communications


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