Identity theft reports surged by 9% across the United States in 2024, marking the first year-over-year increase since 2021. The rise in identity theft is attributed to identity thieves finding new ways to evade existing protections, including the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create more convincing scams. According to an analysis of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data by All About Cookies, nearly 100,000 more incidents were reported between 2023 and 2024.
Identity Theft By Location
Florida residents experienced the most identity theft issues in 2024, with 528 reports per 100,000 people. Neighboring Georgia was the only other state with a rate over 500 reports per capita, at 517 per 100,000 people. Southern states dominated the list of highest identity theft reports, with Miami topping the list at 903 reported instances per 100,000 people. Other cities in the top 10 included Atlanta (690 per 100,000), Houston (573 per 100,000), and Los Angeles (550 per 100,000).
Identity Theft By Type
Credit card fraud was the most prevalent form of identity theft, accounting for 40% of all reports in 2024. “Other” forms of identity theft, including social media, insurance, medical services, and online shopping-related incidents, made up 32% of reports. Identity theft related to acquiring loans or leases ranked third, followed by bank account identity theft and employment or tax-related theft.
Protecting Yourself
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal or financial information without permission. To protect yourself, regularly check your bills and bank statements for unusual charges and review your credit reports for suspicious activity. Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit reports to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name. Keeping financial records secure and being cautious of scammers are also crucial steps.
Tax Identity Theft
Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to steal your tax refund. Victims may not realize it until their tax return is rejected or they receive a letter from the IRS. If you’re a victim, reporting the incident at IdentityTheft.gov can generate an FTC Identity Theft Report and an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit. The IRS also offers an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) program to help prevent fraudulent tax returns.
The data used in this analysis comes from the Consumer Sentinel Network, an online database of consumer complaints maintained by the FTC. All About Cookies analyzed this data to identify trends in identity theft across the country.
