Wyoming Among The 10 Least At-Risk States for Identity Theft
The National Council on Identity Theft Protection reports about one-third of Americans will be victimized by some type of identity theft, according to a release by 360 Reviews.
Losses in 2021 have amounted to more than $5.8 billion, and the problem is growing as cybercriminals become more sophisticated. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says, in 2021 alone, some 5.7 million reports of identity theft and fraud were made, up from 4.7 million the prior year.
Identity theft comes in many forms. These include the takeover of a victim's financial accounts or the creation of new accounts in their name, impersonating the victim to collect tax refunds or other benefits, using stolen identities to commit crimes, and even stealing a child’s identity.
This year, in advance of Tax Identity Theft Week (January 30 to February 3, 2023), U.S. News & World Report's 360 Reviews conducted a study to determine the most and least at-risk states for identity theft crimes.
We scored each state by a variety of factors to determine overall rankings. These factors include state identity theft reports per capita, percentage of identity theft within state fraud reports, states with dedicated privacy laws, and more. All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., are represented in the study.
And...
Wyoming landed among the list of 10 states least at risk for identity theft crimes.
Graphic from usnews.com
The study finds Georgia to be the most at-risk state for identity theft crimes, followed by Rhode Island, and Louisiana.
As for the least at-risk states for identity theft crimes, Iowa took the top spot, followed by Vermont and South Dakota. Wyoming ranked exactly 9th in this ranking, with a score of 20.02, and was solidly in the top 10 for cases as a percentage of the population in all three years. However, its lack of privacy and passport laws pulled its ranking down.
Colorado is one of the three states that have its own dedicated privacy laws.
To read the full study, click HERE.
11 Celebrities with Ties to Laramie, Wyoming
Whether they were born here, or just visited here; Laramie has its fair share of famous people.
More From KOWB 1290
