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Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2023 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent of total top five
Credit card fraud-new accounts 381,122 42.0%
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 279,221 30.7
Bank fraud-new accounts 84,335 9.3
Government benefits fraud-applied for/received 82,419 9.1
Loan fraud-business/personal loan 81,342 9.0
Total, top five 908,439 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2023, 15 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 

Archived Tables

HOW VICTIMS' INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2008 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Credit card fraud 20%
Employment-related fraud 15
Government documents or benefits fraud 15
Phone or utilities fraud 13
Bank fraud (2) 11
Attempted identity theft 6
Loan fraud 4
Other identity theft 24

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (313,982 in 2008). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (12% in 2008).    
(2) Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfer.    
    
Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
HOW VICTIMS' INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2009 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Credit card fraud 17%
Government documents or benefits fraud 16
Phone or utilities fraud 15
Employment-related fraud 13
Bank fraud (2) 10
Attempted identity theft 6
Loan fraud 4
Other identity theft 23

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (278,078 in 2009). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (12% in 2009).   
(2) Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.   
   
Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
HOW VICTIMS' INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2010 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Government documents or benefits fraud 19%
Credit card fraud 15
Phone or utilities fraud 14
Employment-related fraud 11
Bank fraud (2) 10
Attempted identity theft 7
Loan fraud 4
Other identity theft 22

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (250,854 in 2010). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (12% in 2010).   
(2) Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.
   
Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
HOW VICTIMS' INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2011 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Government documents or benefits fraud 27%
Credit card fraud 14
Phone or utilities fraud 13
Bank fraud (2) 9
Employment-related fraud 8
Attempted identity theft 7
Loan fraud 3
Other identity theft 23

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (279,156 in 2011). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (13% in 2011).   
(2) Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.
   
Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
HOW VICTIMS' INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2013 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Government documents or benefits fraud 34%
Credit card fraud 17
Phone or utilities fraud 14
Bank fraud (2) 8
Attempted identity theft 7
Employment-related fraud 6
Loan fraud 4
Other identity theft 24

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (290,056 in 2013). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (16% in 2013).
(2) Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.

Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
How Victims' Information Is Misused, 2014 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Government documents or benefits fraud 38.7%
Credit card fraud 17.4
Phone or utilities fraud 12.5
Bank fraud (2) 8.2
Attempted identity theft 4.8
Employment-related fraud 4.8
Loan fraud 4.4
Other identity theft 21.8

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (332,646 in 2014). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes fraud involving checking, savings and other deposit accounts and electronic fund transfers.

Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
How Victims' Information Is Misused, 2015 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Government documents or benefits fraud 49.2%
Credit card fraud 15.8
Phone or utilities fraud 9.9
Bank fraud (2) 5.9
Attempted identity theft 3.7
Loan fraud 3.5
Employment-related fraud 3.3
Other identity theft 19.2

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (490,220 in 2015). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes fraud involving checking, savings, and other deposit accounts and electronic fund transfers.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 
How Victims' Information Is Misused, 2016 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Employment or tax-related fraud 34.0%
     Tax fraud 29.2
Credit card fraud 32.7
     New accounts 25.6
Other identity theft 16.0
Phone or utilities fraud 13.1
Bank fraud (2) 11.8
Loan or lease fraud 6.8
Government documents or benefits fraud 6.6

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of identity theft complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (399,225 in 2016). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes fraud involving checking, savings, and other deposit accounts and debit cards and electronic fund transfers.

Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
How Victims' Information Is Misused, 2017 (1)
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Type of identity theft fraud Percent
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 51.9%
Credit card fraud 16.8
     New accounts 12.7
Employment or tax-related fraud 10.1
     Tax fraud 7.5
Phone or utilities fraud 7.4
Bank fraud (3) 6.4
Loan or lease fraud 4.2
Government documents or benefits fraud 3.2

(1) Percentages are based on the total number of identity theft complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (371,061 in 2017).
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.
(3) Includes fraud involving checking, savings, and other deposit accounts and debit cards and electronic fund transfers.

Source: Federal Trade Commission.

 
Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2018 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent of total top five
Credit card fraud—new accounts 130,928 40.5%
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 87,765 27.1
Tax fraud 38,967 12.0
Mobile telephone—new accounts 33,466 10.3
Credit card fraud—existing accounts 32,329 10.0
Total, top five 323,455 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2018, 17 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 
Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2019 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent of total top five
Credit card fraud—new accounts 246,763 45.7%
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 166,875 30.9
Mobile telephone—new accounts 44,208 8.2
Business or personal loan 43,919 8.1
Auto loan or lease 38,561 7.1
Total, top five 540,326 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2019, 18 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 
Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2020 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent of total top five
Government benefits applied for/received 394,324 32.0%
Credit card fraud—new accounts 365,597 29.7
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 281,434 22.9
Business/personal loan 99,667 8.1
Tax fraud 89,391 7.3
Total, top five 1,230,413 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2020, 15 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 
Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2021 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent of total top five
Government benefits applied for/received 385,264 31.0%
Credit card fraud—new accounts 363,092 29.2
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 300,244 24.1
Business/personal loan 105,711 8.5
Tax fraud 89,649 7.2
Total, top five 1,243,960 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2021, 14 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.

 
Top Five Types of Identity Theft, 2022 (1)
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Type of identity theft Number of reports Percent total top five
Credit card fraud—new accounts 409,981 43.7%
Miscellaneous identity theft (2) 263,419 28.1
Bank fraud—new accounts 110,513 11.8
Tax fraud 78,588 8.4
Business/personal loan 76,020 8.1
Total, top five 938,521 100.0%

(1) Consumers can report multiple types of identity theft. In 2022, 15 percent of identity theft reports included more than one type of identity theft.
(2) Includes online shopping and payment account fraud, email and social media fraud, and medical services, insurance and securities account fraud, and other identity theft.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network.