COSTA MESA, Calif.,
March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- Data breaches are affecting consumers nationwide and
residents in and around Washington,
D.C. are not immune to the consequences. According to a
survey by Experian's ProtectMyID®, 57 percent of survey
respondents have been a victim of identity theft or know someone
who has, with about two out of three victims experiencing
fraudulent charges on their credit or debit cards. Twenty-eight
percent discovered a new account was opened in their name.
Survey respondents became aware they were victims of identity
theft by their financial institution or card issuer (35 percent) or
by noticing charges on their payment card themselves (30 percent).
Almost 50 percent of survey respondents attribute the theft to a
data breach. One out of five local residents are victims of medical
identity theft.
While data breaches are out of consumers' hands, many D.C. metro
area residents are not being as vigilant as they could be in
protecting themselves. Only 37 percent of survey respondents are
somewhat likely to take proactive steps to safeguard their personal
information, and 12 percent are not likely. Many consumers' still
practice risky behaviors such as failing to password-protect their
smartphone or tablet device (49 percent) or not developing
difficult PINs and passwords (61 percent). A majority also believe
that monitoring all of their financial transactions is too
time-consuming (63 percent). Yet, 65 percent of survey respondents
believe that they are the most responsible for the security of
their personal information.
Some of the good security habits D.C. metro area residents are
practicing include avoiding sharing their Social Security number
unless required by law (74 percent of survey respondents), being
wary of phishing scams (67 percent of survey respondents) and
storing their Social Security card in a safe place (65 percent of
survey respondents). Survey respondents are looking to improve
their security practices, with 40 percent seeking to monitor their
payment-card transactions "more often" and 35 percent seeking to do
so "more closely" as 2015 New Year's
resolutions.
"All consumers should be concerned about their personal
information being used for identity theft and fraud, especially
with the proliferation of data breaches," said Becky Frost, senior manager of Consumer
Education for Experian's ProtectMyID. "However, it's not all doom
and gloom. Consumers can reduce their risk by being consistently
vigilant and getting extra help with an identity protection
monitoring product."
How DC area residents will safeguard their identities in
2015
- Almost 40 percent of survey respondents will limit what
personal information they provide to businesses
- Thirty-four percent of survey respondents will check their
credit report more often
- More than a quarter of survey respondents are going to purchase
or update their antivirus or antimalware programs
- Twenty-six percent of survey respondents will shop more with a
credit card instead of a debit card
Key steps to protect your identity
- Change passwords regularly
- Avoid sharing personally identifying information, such as your
birthday, on social networks
- Shred financial documents before disposing of them
- Review credit reports regularly, and watch for signs of
fraud
- If you receive a data-breach notification letter from a
business, follow the instructions and enroll in its offer of free
protection products
- Have a partner in the fight against identity theft, consider
enrolling in identity protection monitoring and take action if you
receive alerts that your identity could be compromised
About the survey
The online survey was conducted by Qualtrics on behalf of
Experian from March 2–6, 2015, among 913 adults ages 18 and older
living in or around Washington,
D.C. This online survey is not based on a probability
sample; therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting
variables, please contact ann@pitchpublicrelations.com.
About Experian's ProtectMyID
ProtectMyID is a leading, full-service provider of identity
theft detection, protection and resolution. ProtectMyID offers
identity theft protection supported by experienced identity theft
resolution professionals who deliver personal attention that
customers can rely on. ProtectMyID.com® is a Website
owned by ConsumerInfo.com® Inc., an Experian company.
For more information about how ProtectMyID helps consumers protect
themselves against identity theft, please visit
http://www.protectmyid.com.
About Experian
We are the leading global information services company,
providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the
world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud,
target marketing offers and automate decision making. We also help
people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect
against identity theft. In 2014, we were named by
Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Most Innovative
Companies."
We employ approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and our
corporate headquarters are in Dublin,
Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and
is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year
ended March 31, 2014, was
US$4.8 billion.
To find out more about our company, please visit
http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside
Experian."
Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other
product and company names mentioned herein are the property of
their respective owners.
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150203/173027LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-dc-metro-area-residents-feel-the-effects-of-data-breaches-and-identity-theft-300057067.html
SOURCE Experian’s ProtectMyID
