Identity theft in the United States is rising. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network report, the number of reported cases more than doubled from 2019 to 2020. One possible reason for the surge is the pandemic and the legislation that included more than $5 trillion in various government benefits to help financially strapped Americans. This has provided an opportunity for fraud for scammers on a larger scale. (Here are some of the largest cases of COVID-19 relief fraud.)
Though identity theft cases continued to grow nationwide in 2021, it wasn’t at the same scale as the previous year. Also, cases are much more prevalent in some states. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the FTC’s 2021 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book to identify the states with the most and least identity theft. States are ranked by the number of identity theft reports per 100,000 people. All data is from the report.
Retail financial services research company, Javelin Strategy estimates that thieves swiped $52 billion last year. In 2021, the FTC received more than 1.4 million reports of identity theft, with the most likely victims between 30 to 39 years old.
There are five types of identity theft: financial identity theft, which can involve stealing a credit card number; medical identity theft, when someone swipes someone’s personal information to obtain health care services or get prescription drugs; criminal identity theft, when someone uses another person’s name when arrested; synthetic identity theft, when someone creates a bogus ID for a birth certificate or Social Security card using someone’s actual information to apply for a loan; and child identity theft, when a criminal uses a minor’s personal information to commit bank fraud or another kind of identity theft.
Though identity theft occurs in all 50 states, the incidence is rarer in Western states such as North and South Dakota and Wyoming. South Dakota is the only state with fewer than 100 reports per 100,000 people.
The five states with the most identity theft reports were Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Rhode Island. (Also see, cities where the larceny theft rate is soaring.)
The number of reports in Rhode Island, the top state, more than doubled in 2021 to 2,857, from 1,191 a year earlier, according to s McAfee report on identity theft. Another report on identity theft, by Fidelity’s IPX 1031, noted that Kansas posted the highest increase in ID theft of any state at 94.75% during 2020-2021 compared with 2017-2019, just ahead of Rhode Island, which saw a 94.66% increase.
Click here to see the states with the most identity theft.
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50. South Dakota
> Identity theft complaints: 76 per 100,000 (total: 673)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $489 (20th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (24% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (12% of total)
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49. Montana
> Identity theft complaints: 106 per 100,000 (total: 1,130)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $436 (20th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (12% of total)
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48. Wyoming
> Identity theft complaints: 107 per 100,000 (total: 620)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (13% of total)
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47. Iowa
> Identity theft complaints: 119 per 100,000 (total: 3,758)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $379 (6th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (24% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (16% of total)
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46. Alaska
> Identity theft complaints: 122 per 100,000 (total: 896)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $600 (3rd highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (38% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (10% of total)
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45. Nebraska
> Identity theft complaints: 125 per 100,000 (total: 2,409)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $450 (24th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (24% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (15% of total)
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44. North Dakota
> Identity theft complaints: 131 per 100,000 (total: 999)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $440 (21st lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (18% of total)
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43. Vermont
> Identity theft complaints: 132 per 100,000 (total: 825)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $337 (the lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (13% of total)
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42. Idaho
> Identity theft complaints: 152 per 100,000 (total: 2,719)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $396 (8th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (16% of total)
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41. West Virginia
> Identity theft complaints: 159 per 100,000 (total: 2,845)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $350 (3rd lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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40. New Hampshire
> Identity theft complaints: 162 per 100,000 (total: 2,205)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $450 (24th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (15% of total)
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39. Maine
> Identity theft complaints: 167 per 100,000 (total: 2,239)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (26% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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38. Minnesota
> Identity theft complaints: 168 per 100,000 (total: 9,457)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $482 (21st highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (24% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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37. Washington
> Identity theft complaints: 170 per 100,000 (total: 12,917)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (25% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (14% of total)
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36. Oklahoma
> Identity theft complaints: 173 per 100,000 (total: 6,850)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $410 (16th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (21% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (18% of total)
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35. Indiana
> Identity theft complaints: 176 per 100,000 (total: 11,866)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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34. Connecticut
> Identity theft complaints: 187 per 100,000 (total: 6,666)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $460 (23rd highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (19% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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33. Utah
> Identity theft complaints: 189 per 100,000 (total: 6,060)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (21% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (19% of total)
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32. Oregon
> Identity theft complaints: 190 per 100,000 (total: 8,016)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (16% of total)
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31. Wisconsin
> Identity theft complaints: 193 per 100,000 (total: 11,253)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $390 (7th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (19% of total)
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30. Michigan
> Identity theft complaints: 206 per 100,000 (total: 20,556)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (21% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (19% of total)
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29. Arkansas
> Identity theft complaints: 211 per 100,000 (total: 6,358) (tie)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $450 (24th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (21% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (18% of total)
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28. Hawaii
> Identity theft complaints: 211 per 100,000 (total: 2,993) (tie)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $620 (the highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (20% of total)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
27. Missouri
> Identity theft complaints: 218 per 100,000 (total: 13,372)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $361 (4th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (20% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (19% of total)
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26. New Mexico
> Identity theft complaints: 220 per 100,000 (total: 4,611)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (20% of total)
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25. Virginia
> Identity theft complaints: 225 per 100,000 (total: 19,214)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (18% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (17% of total)
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24. Kentucky
> Identity theft complaints: 233 per 100,000 (total: 10,416)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $350 (3rd lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (19% of total)
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23. Massachusetts
> Identity theft complaints: 240 per 100,000 (total: 16,566)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (20% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (20% of total)
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22. North Carolina
> Identity theft complaints: 289 per 100,000 (total: 30,318)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $446 (22nd lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (22% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (16% of total)
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21. Tennessee
> Identity theft complaints: 297 per 100,000 (total: 20,254)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (20% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (20% of total)
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20. Mississippi
> Identity theft complaints: 333 per 100,000 (total: 9,906)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (20% of total)
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19. California
> Identity theft complaints: 337 per 100,000 (total: 133,119)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $600 (3rd highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (25% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (16% of total)
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18. South Carolina
> Identity theft complaints: 343 per 100,000 (total: 17,642)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (23% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (19% of total)
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17. New Jersey
> Identity theft complaints: 359 per 100,000 (total: 31,857)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $508 (8th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (24% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (16% of total)
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16. Arizona
> Identity theft complaints: 386 per 100,000 (total: 28,108)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $515 (7th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (17% of total)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
15. Alabama
> Identity theft complaints: 402 per 100,000 (total: 19,691)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $423 (18th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (25% of total)
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14. Pennsylvania
> Identity theft complaints: 425 per 100,000 (total: 54,460)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $400 (15th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (26% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (22% of total)
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13. Ohio
> Identity theft complaints: 431 per 100,000 (total: 50,421)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $375 (5th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (31% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (15% of total)
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12. Maryland
> Identity theft complaints: 493 per 100,000 (total: 29,778)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $518 (6th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (26% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (15% of total)
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11. Texas
> Identity theft complaints: 504 per 100,000 (total: 146,095)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (32% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (15% of total)
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10. Florida
> Identity theft complaints: 515 per 100,000 (total: 110,675)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $532 (5th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (27% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (17% of total)
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9. Delaware
> Identity theft complaints: 560 per 100,000 (total: 5,449)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (28% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (15% of total)
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8. New York
> Identity theft complaints: 563 per 100,000 (total: 109,466)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (34% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (14% of total)
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7. Colorado
> Identity theft complaints: 583 per 100,000 (total: 33,572)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $479 (22nd highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (34% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (17% of total)
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6. Nevada
> Identity theft complaints: 584 per 100,000 (total: 17,985)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $616 (2nd highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (29% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (13% of total)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
5. Georgia
> Identity theft complaints: 618 per 100,000 (total: 65,666)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $500 (9th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (30% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (21% of total)
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4. Louisiana
> Identity theft complaints: 732 per 100,000 (total: 34,043)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $422 (17th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (38% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users (24% of total)
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3. Illinois
> Identity theft complaints: 924 per 100,000 (total: 117,056)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $450 (24th highest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (46% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (12% of total)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
2. Kansas
> Identity theft complaints: 1,355 per 100,000 (total: 39,461)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $429 (19th lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (62% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (10% of total)
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1. Rhode Island
> Identity theft complaints: 2,857 per 100,000 (total: 30,270)
> Median loss for all types of fraud: $447 (23rd lowest)
> Most common form of ID theft: Identity Theft (73% of total)
> Second most common form of ID theft: Imposter Scams (7% of total)
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