Special Report

States With the Most (and Least) Identity Theft

Steven Peters

Published: April 4, 2017 6:00 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 1:20 pm

The risk of identity theft in the United States continues to rise. The incidence of such crimes rose consistently over the last decade, from 246,214 in 2006 to 399,225 last year.

The rate of identity theft varies considerably between states. Using the Federal Trade Commission’s 2017 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states with the most and least identity theft.

The Consumer Sentinel Network received over 3 million complaints in 2016. Of these, identity theft comprised 13%, the third largest complaint category after debt collection and impostor scams.

Click here to see the states with the most and least identity theft.

The risk of identify theft has increased as larger quantities of personal data continue to be exchanged over the internet. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the security of nearly 7.4 million personal records — a name plus a social security number, driver’s license number, medical or financial record — have been compromised so far this year.

Because often there is little that law enforcement can do, many victims do not report identity theft. While identity theft is a serious crime, only 27% of identity theft cases documented with the Consumer Sentinel Network are reported to law enforcement.

Other types of fraud, tracked separately from identity theft, can also have devastating effects on American consumers. Of the 3 million total complaints in 2016, 1.3 million were fraud related. The typical consumer involved in these scams lost $450.

Impostor scams were the most common form of fraud reported. Scammers claiming to be a loved one stranded abroad without money, computer technicians selling unneeded software, and criminals posing as government agencies are all some of the most common types of impostor scams.

To determine the states with the most and least identity theft, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed consumer complaints of identity theft per 100,000 residents in every state with data from the Federal Trade Commission’s 2017 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. Also considered were total identity theft complaints, fraud complaints per 100,000 residents, and the average amount stolen by a scammer. All figures are for 2016 and were obtained from the FTC’s report.

These are the states with the most and least identity theft.

Source: Thinkstock

50. Hawaii
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 55.2
> Identity theft complaints: 789 (7th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 277.2 (11th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $996 (23rd highest)

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Source: Dk4hb / Wikimedia Commons

49. South Dakota
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 58.1
> Identity theft complaints: 503 (4th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 214.8 (2nd lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,251 (8th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

48. West Virginia
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 59.7
> Identity theft complaints: 1,093 (8th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 407.6 (2nd highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $535 (the lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

47. North Dakota
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 61.3
> Identity theft complaints: 465 (3rd lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 186.7 (the lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,032 (17th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

46. Vermont
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 62.0
> Identity theft complaints: 387 (the lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 268.2 (9th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $674 (2nd lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

45. Kentucky
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 65.3
> Identity theft complaints: 2,898 (21st lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 300.5 (23rd lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $876 (tied-11th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

44. Iowa
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 68.1
> Identity theft complaints: 2,135 (16th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 218.9 (3rd lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,141 (10th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

43. Montana
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 68.2
> Identity theft complaints: 711 (5th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 320.1 (22nd highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,016 (19th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

42. Louisiana
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 69.7
> Identity theft complaints: 3,264 (22nd lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 327.5 (19th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $975 (25th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

41. Wyoming
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 74.6
> Identity theft complaints: 437 (2nd lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 281.6 (13th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,154 (9th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

40. Indiana
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 76.8
> Identity theft complaints: 5,091 (21st highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 295.6 (17th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $952 (tied-22nd lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

39. Arkansas
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 77.2
> Identity theft complaints: 2,308 (17th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 306.2 (25th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,125 (13th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

38. Mississippi
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 79.6
> Identity theft complaints: 2,378 (18th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 303.8 (24th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,330 (5th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

37. Idaho
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 80.1
> Identity theft complaints: 1,348 (11th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 296.5 (19th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,092 (14th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

36. Alabama
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 82.4
> Identity theft complaints: 4,007 (25th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 383.4 (6th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $893 (15th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

35. Nebraska
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 83.1
> Identity theft complaints: 1,584 (14th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 267.9 (8th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,029 (18th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

34. Utah
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 83.2
> Identity theft complaints: 2,540 (20th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 252.4 (4th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,343 (4th highest)

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33. Oklahoma
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 85.1
> Identity theft complaints: 3,337 (23rd lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 276.1 (10th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,003 (21st highest)

Source: Thinkstock

32. Tennessee
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 86.0
> Identity theft complaints: 5,718 (20th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 363.3 (8th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $902 (16th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

31. Kansas
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 87.1
> Identity theft complaints: 2,532 (19th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 305.9 (25th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,084 (15th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

30. Wisconsin
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 87.5
> Identity theft complaints: 5,054 (22nd highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 258.4 (6th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $964 (25th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

29. Maine
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 87.9
> Identity theft complaints: 1,170 (9th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 264.7 (7th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $736 (3rd lowest)

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28. South Carolina
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 89.5
> Identity theft complaints: 4,438 (24th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 345.1 (12th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $876 (tied-11th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

27. Ohio
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 94.8
> Identity theft complaints: 11,009 (9th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 297.3 (20th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $952 (tied-22nd lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

26. Alaska
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 96.1
> Identity theft complaints: 713 (6th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 256.9 (5th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,541 (2nd highest)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

25. North Carolina
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 96.1
> Identity theft complaints: 9,746 (11th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 330.4 (17th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $843 (8th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

24. New Mexico
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 96.9
> Identity theft complaints: 2,016 (15th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 339.8 (13th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,309 (6th highest)

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23. New Hampshire
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 101.3
> Identity theft complaints: 1,352 (12th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 311.7 (24th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $817 (5th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

22. New York
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 102.3
> Identity theft complaints: 20,205 (4th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 293.8 (16th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,138 (11th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

21. Virginia
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 104.3
> Identity theft complaints: 8,772 (12th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 350.6 (11th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $920 (18th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

20. Oregon
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 105.3
> Identity theft complaints: 4,312 (25th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 334.1 (14th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $850 (9th lowest)

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19. Massachusetts
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 107.0
> Identity theft complaints: 7,287 (17th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 296.5 (18th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $932 (19th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

18. Minnesota
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 107.2
> Identity theft complaints: 5,919 (19th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 284.0 (14th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $998 (22nd highest)

Source: Thinkstock

17. Pennsylvania
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 109.7
> Identity theft complaints: 14,030 (7th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 326.4 (21st highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $960 (24th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

16. New Jersey
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 111.5
> Identity theft complaints: 9,977 (10th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 299.3 (21st lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $983 (24th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

15. Colorado
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 112.0
> Identity theft complaints: 6,203 (18th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 332.1 (16th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $890 (14th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

14. Washington
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 114.0
> Identity theft complaints: 8,310 (14th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 332.2 (15th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,013 (20th highest)

Source: Thinkstock

13. Rhode Island
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 115.1
> Identity theft complaints: 1,216 (10th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 286.6 (15th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $905 (17th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

12. Texas
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 119.2
> Identity theft complaints: 33,214 (3rd highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 326.8 (20th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $2,305 (the highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

11. Georgia
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 124.0
> Identity theft complaints: 12,787 (8th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 391.6 (5th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $949 (21st lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

10. Arizona
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 126.2
> Identity theft complaints: 8,748 (13th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 354.6 (10th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,129 (12th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

9. Nevada
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 135.8
> Identity theft complaints: 3,993 (24th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 403.0 (3rd highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,275 (7th highest)

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8. Missouri
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 136.1
> Identity theft complaints: 8,292 (15th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 329.9 (18th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $769 (4th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

7. Maryland
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 137.1
> Identity theft complaints: 8,251 (16th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 398.1 (4th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $836 (7th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

6. Connecticut
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 137.9
> Identity theft complaints: 4,933 (23rd highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 300.1 (22nd lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $942 (20th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

5. Illinois
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 138.0
> Identity theft complaints: 17,660 (5th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 278.7 (12th lowest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $889 (13th lowest)

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Source: Thinkstock

4. California
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 139.5
> Identity theft complaints: 54,744 (the highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 319.4 (23rd highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,348 (3rd highest)

Source: Thinkstock

3. Delaware
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 155.9
> Identity theft complaints: 1,484 (13th lowest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 380.1 (7th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $870 (10th lowest)

Source: Thinkstock

2. Florida
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 166.8
> Identity theft complaints: 34,384 (2nd highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 416.1 (the highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $1,078 (16th highest)

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Source: Thinkstock

1. Michigan
> Identity theft complaints per 100,000: 175.6
> Identity theft complaints: 17,430 (6th highest)
> Fraud complaints per 100,000: 358.4 (9th highest)
> Avg. loss per scam: $828 (6th lowest)