Identify theft is becoming an increasing threat in Alabama, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Last year, 2,216 Alabama residents reported that they were victims of identity theft, a steady rise from the 1,823 reported in 2003 and the 1,276 in 2002.
In 2004, Birmingham ranked 41st among the nation’s metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rate of identity theft. The city had 332 victims, a per capita rate of 64 victims per 100,000 residents.
After Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile ranked highest in the state with 124 cases each, followed by Huntsville with 89 and Dothan with 47.
Of the identity theft cases is Alabama, 28 percent were credit card fraud, 19 percent were phone or utilities fraud, 18 percent were bank fraud and the rest were other various types of fraud.
Nineteen percent of victims from Alabama reporting cases in 2004 said they experienced more than one type of identity theft.
For information on how to deal with identity theft or to learn how to protect yourself from becoming a victim, visit the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse Web site at www.consumer.gov.
(TAB)
Share with others: