STOLEN ID: 8 Types of Victims Thieves Target

Are you a target for identity theft? Do you think you have eliminated the chance of having your identity stolen? Are thieves drawn to the most poorly protected victims? Do you live in the state with the highest identity fraud cases in the U.S? The following information will surprise you!

Tax season is in full swing and that is when identity fraud perpetrators are also working hard. Identity thieves are drawn to the wealthy not the poorly protected victims. That's right. a study issued January 27th by Experian, a company that does both identity fraud protection services and marketing demographics services, states that those with the most money are targeted for identity fraud much more often than those with little or no identity protection. The commercials touting the necessity of protecting your identity are only exposing part of the problem!

Identity thieves are successfully targeting the wealthy and affluent, regardless of the systems and software they use. These groups of people are 43% more likely to be targeted by identity thieves than the average credit citizen. Experian describes Affluent Suburbia as "the wealthiest households in the U.S., living in exclusive suburban neighborhoods and enjoying the best everything has to offer." In contrast, the wealthy are the least likely to be concerned about identity theft, as well as national security, health risks, and personal safety.

Those in the top ten percentile of wealth in "upscale America" have an additional 22% chance of being targeted. Upscale America is defined as "college-educated couples and families living in metropolitan sprawl, earning upscale incomes that provide them with large homes and very comfortable, active lifestyles." My baby sister needs to take note!

This was very interesting to me, as I have been a victim of identity theft in the past. However, I am obviously not affluent or wealthy! My ex-spouse thought it would be advantageous to steal my identity and open a bunch of fraudulent accounts up in my name, as if we were still married and I had permitted this activity, and then had the nerve to send the bills to my new address! But, I suppose my ex is not the ordinary thief that is subject to this study aforementioned.

In this study, the average income recipient was 11% more likely to be a target of identity theft than a low income person. Have a luxury car or home? The percentage of victims who own luxury vehicles is 26 percent higher, and the percentage of homeowners is 23 percent higher. Fortunately, I only own my home! Since the Toyota recall, I suppose my car is no longer considered a luxury item (sarcastically speaking).

This study suggests that identity thieves and fraudsters could be targeting victims by their neighborhoods, rather than by their computer systems or defenses. If you live in a town with more than 20,000 people, you are at a significantly higher risk level. In fact, consumers who live in rural areas with a population of 2,500 or less were 60 percent less likely to fall victim to identity fraud than the average consumer.

The U.S, UK, and Canada are the countries most likely to be targeted for identity theft, even if the perpetrators are from another country.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you read, write, swim, play tennis? Tennis players are 85% more likely to be an identity theft victim than those who don't play. Those who are fortunate enough to indulge in foreign travel like my baby sister are 70% more likely to be targeted. Interests in cultural arts (52 percent) and skiing (50 percent) also set victims apart from non-victims.

What state do you live in? If you live in Arizona, California, or Florida, then you are at the highest risk of identity theft. Ironically, these are the three states with the highest home foreclosures as well! Texas and Nevada round out the top five spots.

Consumers reported fraud-related losses totaling more than $1.8 billion last year. This is contributed to a higher consumer awareness of identity fraud. In fact, credit and debit card fraud is the No. 1 fear of Americans in the midst of the global financial crisis. Concern about fraud supersedes that of terrorism, computer and health viruses and personal safety.

Women, not surprisingly, are 26% more likely to be a victim of identity theft than men. I believe this is because they typically have more responsibilities and are juggling more than one task at a time at any given point in the day. They are also generally responsible for the home and delegating the money to bill collectors and such.

Think an old shriveled up person is more likely to be hit with fraud? Don't count on it. Youngsters in their 20's, like college students, are far more likely to be targets of identity theft. This goes back to the "wealthy factor". Thieves know that the elderly generally don't have a lot of money. They also know they are less likely to buy a big screen TV. So, when that pops up on an elderly person's credit card, the credit card company will be more likely to question the purchase.

Considering the "wealthy factor" and the fact that typically white people do earn more in America than Hispanics or Blacks, I was surprised to learn that Hispanics were 50 percent more likely than non-Hispanic whites to have been a victim of fraud in 2005, with 18.0 percent of Hispanics estimated to have been a victim of one or more frauds.

Thieves are more brazen now and are 71% more likely to siphon your stolen financial account within the first week than in previous years. Technology has facilitated in this occurrence greatly.

Identity fraud has received a fresh new look by the government because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced last month the arrest of 476 gang members, gang associates and other criminals, including five in the Phoenix, Arizona area, as part of Project Big Freeze. The ICE-led enforcement operation targeted gangs in 83 cities. It was quite a lucrative business for the Latin Kings, who were the main culprits of the bust. In total, the Latin Kings and the other street gangs had significant numbers of foreign-national members and have been frequently involved in human smuggling and trafficking; narcotics smuggling and distribution; identity theft and benefit fraud; money laundering and bulk cash smuggling; weapons smuggling and arms trafficking; cyber-crimes; export violations; and other crimes with a tight relationship to the border of Mexico. There is a glimmer of hope that large crime busts like these will lower the slaughtering of innocent victims in Mexico, as seen in the news recently.

Identity fraud, as I have learned personally, can be expensive to fix, and often is impossible to catch the culprit, even if you know the perpetrator. Additionally, it takes a lot of man hours for the authorities to track down and catch the suspect and be able to prosecute him/her. Authorities are reluctant, especially in national economic hardships, to commit to this sort of crime. By the time your case does get much overdue attention, your credit is ruined, such as the case with me.

You can go to these helpful links if you have been a target of identity theft:

Steps To Prevent ID Fraud

Sample Letters To Creditors When Victimized

6 Important Ways To Identify ID Fraud

Prediction in 2010: Child Victims of ID Fraud

Good Luck! And, may the law be on your side.