Bank Loans/Credit Cards Account for Just 20% of Identity Theft

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to IdentityHawk^SM data, 17% of consumers have personally been victims of identity theft, and 28% of households have at least one victim of identity theft. Analysis shows that the percent of identity theft from credit accounts was just 20% of total identity theft. The other 80% was comprised of the following:

15% Trading SSN (Social Security number), CCN (credit card numbers) and other personal data (usernames & passwords)
16% Bank account debit
10% False address
10% Government documents & benefits fraud
8% Electronic funds transfer
8% Wireless accounts
6% Utility account fraud
4% Telephone accounts
3% Evading the law

IdentityHawk, is a leading identity protection service that aggressively zeroes in on potential threats to help consumers safeguard their identity.

According to Jeff Paradise, executive director of IdentityHawk, “Eighty percent of all losses related to identity theft happen outside the credit system -- and the earliest detection that an identity might be compromised occur with a breach like a false address. Consumers need a means of preventing identity fraud which is both comprehensive and vigilant that finds inconsistencies in identity information early, so members are notified to take action before identity fraud occurs.”

About IdentityHawk

IdentityHawk is a leading identity protection service that aggressively zeroes in on potential threats to help consumers safeguard their identity. Members are warned of potential identity risks so they can take steps to stop fraud before it starts. IdentityHawk is a product of FYI Direct, Inc., a leader in direct-to-consumer credit and identity protection services. For more information, go to www.identityhawk.com.