Gallup: Two in Three Americans Worry About ID Theft

In its Gallup Organization crime survey debut, identity theft has topped the list of American criminal concerns. Gallup reports that 66 percent of U.S. adults “frequently” or “occasionally” worry about being a victim of identity theft, a rate “higher than the reported anxiety about 11 other types of crime and the only crime that a majority worry about at least occasionally.”

Meanwhile, 10 percent of Americans the organization surveyed Oct. 1-4 reported that they or a member of their household was victim of identity theft in the last twelve months, a crime surpassed only by vandalism and money or property theft. The data points to some interesting observations: Men and women equally likely to say they worry about identity theft, while “households earning less than $30,000 per year are significantly less likely to say they worry frequently or occasionally about this crime than are those making higher amounts.”


Does that mean those in higher income brackets have more reason to fear? Not according to the numbers. Self-reports of crime victimization suggest that 12% of low-income Americans and 12% of those in high-income households live in a household where somebody was an identity theft victim in the last year. Gallup suggests “one reason for the high level of worry about identity theft may be the spotlight that both lawmakers and identity-protection companies have turned on it” and that “examples of people who have spent months or years trying to restore their credit or good name seem to have had an impact on Americans.”


Hopefully consumers are putting their heightened anxiety to constructive use. While it is true that you can never guarantee complete protection against identity theft no matter how vigilant you are, you’re still far better empowered to resolve the situation if you know what’s going on with your identity. 

Also, a heightened awareness among institutions and government agencies is also turning the tide in victims’ favor – the Red Flags Rule requires credit-granting organizations to look for signs of identity theft.  And some states have established an identity theft registry in order to verify victims’ status and help prevent victims from getting blamed for any of the crimes thieves have committed in their names.



Because it’s National Protect Your Identity Week, you should take this opportunity to establish a routine and follow these and other tips year-round.