Identity Theft Reported by Households Rose 33 Percent From 2005-2010
An estimated 8.6 million households had at least one person age 12 or older who experienced identity theft victimization in 2010, said the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). This was an increase from the 6.4 million households victimized in 2005.
The percentage of victimized households (about 35%) experiencing the misuse of an existing account other than a credit card—such as a banking, savings or utility account—was unchanged from 2005 to 2010. However, the percentage of victimized households experiencing the misuse of personal information to open a new account or commit another crime declined from 23 percent to 14 percent during this period.