Report: Georgia is the top state for identity theft. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Chelsea Madden
·2 min read

Identity theft is occurring now more than ever.

Last year, there were 1,802 reported data breaches affecting around 422 million people, according to the Identity Theft Research Center’s 2023 Data Breach Report. This is the second-highest number of reported data breaches in a single year.

And in the last 20 years, identity theft cases have risen by 584%.

In a new report by ConsumerAffairs, each U.S. state was evaluated based on identity theft statistics and data per 100,000 residents.

Researchers then found the states with the highest number of reports of identity theft in 2022.

Which was the state at the top of that list, with the most reports?

The Peach State.

With 574 reported cases per 100,000 residents in the last year, Georgia has the highest rate of identity theft in the country.

The Atlanta area (Sandy Springs/Alpharetta, Georgia) and Savannah are the most reported metro areas for identity theft in the state.

Here are the 10 states with the highest number of reported identity thefts:

  1. Georgia

  2. Louisiana

  3. Florida

  4. Delaware

  5. Nevada

  6. Texas

  7. Pennsylvania

  8. Alabama

  9. South Carolina

  10. Mississippi

Who is most vulnerable to ID theft?

The ConsumerAffairs report found that out of the 1,108,609 total identity theft reports last year, 30- to 39-year-olds made up 25.9% of victims in the U.S.

What is the most common type of ID theft?

In 2022, credit card fraud was the most common type of identity theft; however, identity theft also occurred through online shopping, emails, banks, social media, loans or leasing agreements, tax-related transactions and more.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

ConsumerAffairs has a few tips and more information on their website:

  • Always keep track of sensitive material

  • Don’t leave mail uncollected in your mailbox

  • Monitor your credit score

  • Keep your passwords hard to guess

  • Get two-factor authentication alerts

  • Never respond to unsolicited requests for sensitive or personal information

  • Know how to stay safe online and stay safe on public Wi-Fi