Florida ranks third in the country with 54,313 identity theft reports, behind California and Texas. (Nisian Hughes/Getty Images)
The metropolitan area of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach has recorded the highest number of identity theft cases per capita in USA during the first six months of 2024. This information, provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and analyzed in a report of The Motley Fool Ascentindicates that Miami It is the epicenter of this type of crime in the country.
During this period, the Miami metropolitan area recorded a total of 25,434 cases of identity theft. The state of Miami alone recorded 25,434 cases of identity theft. Florida had 54,313 such reports, placing the state in third place nationwide, behind California y Texas.
The Motley Fool Ascent analysis reveals that Americans reported 552,000 cases of identity theft to the FTC nationwide during the first half of the year. Projecting at this rate, total cases in 2024 are expected to exceed 1,037,000 cases reported in 2023.
In the first half of 2024, 552,000 cases of identity theft were reported in the United States, a possible record for the end of the year. (Illustrative image Infobae)
Among the various types of identity theft, credit card fraud remains the most common, with approximately 215,000 cases reported to the FTC in the first six months of 2024, an increase of 6% compared to the previous half year.
Other types of fraud that have seen an increase include Loan and Lease Fraudwith 96,608 cases in 2024, and other types of crimes related to identity theft, which totaled 170,784 cases. These include email and social media fraud schemes, insurance, medical services and online shopping.
Banking fraud, which includes misuse of bank accounts and fraudulent transfers, was recorded on 61,672 occasions in the first half of 2024. In addition, 46,318 cases of telephone or utility fraud and 41,190 cases of fraud in government documents and benefits.
Credit card fraud remains the most common type of identity theft, with 215,000 cases in the first half of 2024. (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Identity theft also varies by the age of the victims. People between 30 and 39 years old are the most likely to be affected, with 139,871 complaints registered in this age group, representing 29% of the total cases.
The analysis also highlights the impact of Data breaches as a significant source of identity theftIn 2023, 3,205 data breaches were recorded, although the number of people affected decreased as cybercriminals focused more on obtaining specific personal information rather than carrying out mass attacks.
Cybercriminals employ a variety of tactics to commit these crimes, including phishing, ransomware and other types of malware. Phishing involves impersonating a trusted entity to trick the target into clicking on a compromised link, while ransomware demands ransoms in exchange for not releasing sensitive data.
Cybercriminals use tactics such as phishing and ransomware to commit identity theft. (Illustrative Image Infobae)
By states, California leads with 68,725 identity theft reports, followed by Texas y Floridaboth with 54,313 cases each. New York y Georgia round out the top five with 28,654 and 25,955 reports, respectively.
Population size is a major factor in the total number of complaints, but the per capita rate paints a different picture. States with the largest percentage increases per 100,000 population include Rhode Island, Maine, Wyoming, Louisiana y N.H.with increases of 40%, 39%, 38%, 33% and 29%, respectively.
Below is a list of identity theft reports by state during the first half of 2024 and the number of reports:
- California: 68.725
- Texas: 54.313
- Florida: 54.313
- New York: 28.654
- Georgia: 25.955
- Illinois: 21.879
- Pennsylvania: 20.321
- Ohio: 19.657
- North Carolina: 18.234
- Michigan: 17.865
Additionally, these are the top metropolitan areas for identity theft per capita and identity theft reports in the United States:
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (25,434 report)
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (19,765 reports)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (15,342 reports)
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (14,567 reports)
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (13,298 reports)
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (12,946 reports)
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (11,567 reports)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (10,324 reports)
- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (9,876 reports)
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (9,432 reports)
In the specific case of Miamihigh population density and economic activity may be contributing factors. FTC recommends protective measures such as securing personal information, both physically and online, and being vigilant when sharing sensitive data such as Social Security numbers.
