12/05/2024

Iowa Ranks As 10th Most Vulnerable To Identity Theft, Fraud

1380 KCIM

A recent report from personal finance company WalletHub finds Iowa ranks as the 10th most vulnerable state to identity theft and fraud. To determine the rankings, WalletHub analyzed 14 metrics, such as identity theft complaints per capita, fraud reports, and average loss per incident, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Iowa tied for first with the highest average loss amount due to identity theft, topping more than $11,000 per occurrence. Iowa also ranked 12th highest in the number of people arrested for fraud per capita and 18th lowest for strength of state “freeze laws” for credit reports. It wasn’t all bad news in the report, however, as Iowa did rank 49th for the fewest fraud complaints per capita. To prevent identity theft and fraud, prioritize email security by using strong passwords, enabling two-step verification, and protecting your primary email. Sign up for credit monitoring services to track your credit report and receive alerts about suspicious activity. Manage all financial accounts online, keep contact information current, and enable alerts for account changes or unusual activity. Exercise caution online by avoiding unverified emails, downloads, and sharing sensitive information via unsecured channels. The District of Columbia, Delaware, and California ranked as the most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud, while Montana, Rhode Island, and West Virginia ranked as the least susceptible. Read the full report from WalletHub included below.