Massachusetts Among Top Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft and Fraud

MASSACHUSETTS — Police logs are frequently peppered with reports of identity fraud complaints. The problem has increased nationally, and a recent study finds that Massachusetts is the state that is fourth most vulnerable to identify theft and fraud, coming in behind District of Columbia, California and Florida.

December is National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month, and with 901 data breaches reported thus far in 2016, the free credit-monitoring website WalletHub on Wednesday released its in-depth analysis that identifies 2016’s States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud as well as an Identity Theft Guide.

To measure the level of susceptibility to such crimes for each state, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key metrics, measuring the level of susceptibility to such crimes in each state. The data set ranges from “identity-theft complaints per capita” to “average loss amount due to fraud.”

Massachusetts’ Vulnerability to Identity Theft & Fraud (1=Most Vulnerable; 25=Avg.), according to WalletHub:

• 19th – Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita
• 1st – Avg. Loss Amount Due to Online Identity Theft
• 23rd – Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita
• 1st – State Security-Freeze Laws for Minors’ Credit Reports
• 1st – Identity-Theft Passport Program

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