Identity theft can affect anyone, but certain groups are more frequently targeted due to their circumstances or behaviors. Here are the primary groups that tend to be targeted:
1. Elderly Individuals: Why They’re Targeted: Older adults may be less familiar with digital security practices and more trusting of unsolicited communication. They might also have substantial savings and good credit, making them attractive targets.
Common Scams: Medicare/healthcare fraud, Social Security scams, phishing attacks, and financial exploitation.
2. Young Adults and College Students: Why They’re Targeted: Young adults often have clean credit histories, which are valuable for fraudsters. They may also be less cautious about sharing personal information online and are frequent users of social media and mobile apps.
Common Scams: Student loan fraud, phishing emails, social media scams, and hacking of online accounts.
3. Children: Why They’re Targeted: Children’s identities are particularly valuable because they are often not monitored for years, allowing fraud to go undetected for a long time.
Common Scams: Synthetic identity theft, where criminals create fake identities using a child’s Social Security number combined with other fake information.
4. High-Income Individuals: Why They’re Targeted: High-income individuals are more likely to have larger bank accounts, higher credit limits, and a wide range of financial assets.
Common Scams: Investment fraud, tax fraud, and account takeovers.
5. Frequent Online Shoppers: Why They’re Targeted: People who frequently shop online may enter their credit card information on multiple sites, increasing the risk of exposure in the event of a dat breach.
Common Scams: Credit card fraud, phishing, and fake e-commerce sites.
6. Frequent Travelers: Why They’re Targeted: Travelers often use public Wi-Fi and may carry important documents like passports, making them vulnerable to both digital and physical theft.
Common Scams: Travel scams, hotel Wi-Fi hacking, and theft of physical documents.
7. Small Business Owners: Why They’re Targeted: Small business owners often handle large amounts of money and may not have the same level of cybersecurity protections as larger corporations.
Common Scams: Business email compromise (BEC), phishing, and ransomware attacks.
8. Victims of Data Breaches: Why They’re Targeted: Individuals whose personal information has been exposed in data breaches are at higher risk of identity theft.
Common Scams: Account takeovers, phishing, and social engineering attacks.
9. Individuals with Poor Credit: Why They’re Targeted: Paradoxically, people with poor credit can also be targeted because criminals may use their identities to open new accounts that won’t be immediately monitored.
Common Scams: Opening new lines of credit, payday loan fraud, and utility fraud.
10. Active Duty Military Personnel: Why They’re Targeted: Military personnel, especially those deployed, may not regularly monitor their credit and financial accounts.
Common Scams: Military benefits fraud, VA loan fraud, and phishing.
11. Social Media Users: Users who share a lot of personal information on social media can inadvertently provide fraudsters with the details they need to steal identities.
Common Scams: Social media scams, phishing, and impersonation.
Identity theft can happen to anyone, but being aware of the risk factors and adopting good security practices can help reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim.