"Identity theft continues to be a very serious threat. One in 23 adults will be victimized this year, with a total loss exceeding $50 billion. To prevent the misuse of our personal information, survey research shows we should be as safety-conscious in our home and office, as we are on the Internet," said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
The 2005 Identity Fraud Survey report, recently released by the BBB and Javelin Strategy & Research, indicates that common fears about online identity fraud may be out of proportion to the real risks that confront consumers. The surprising results indicate that people should pay greater attention to the more traditional paper-based world when taking steps to protect their personal identity.
The survey of 4,000 individuals found:
The most frequently reported sources of information used to commit identity fraud are not computer-based. A lost or stolen wallet, checkbook or credit card was cited by almost 29% of the victims who knew how their personal information had been obtained; 11% cited friends/acquaintances and relatives; another, 8% blamed corrupt employees with access to personal information. Computer crimes accounted for 11.6% of the perpetrator sources known by victims.
Among cases where the perpetrator's identity is known, half of all misuse of personal information was committed by a friend, family member, relative, neighbor or in-home employee
The study linked below indicates peoples worries about identity theft are misplaced; most thefts occur through friends, relatives, and people at work and not because of legitimate firms access to public records!
This study was conducted for the Better Business Bureau and coordinated with FTC data.
It is a powerful statement against the privacy extremists who would have consumers believe the legitimate public data processors of the world are the devil incarnate.
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http://www.javelinstrategy.com/reports/ ... eport.html
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