Creating a Risk Factor Profile for Identity Theft Victims

• In Event: Identity Theft & (Tele)Fraud

Abstract

Identity theft has recently gained more attention from scholars. However, the bulk of research in this area examines the risk factors for becoming a victim of identity theft using cross-sectional data. This study is unique in that it examines over six years of data from the NCVS Identity Theft Supplement to investigate whether certain demographics, such as age, gender, and median household income, make someone more likely to be a victim of identity theft. The two main research questions addressed in the study are: 1) Are identity theft victims randomly targeted, or are certain demographics more susceptible to becoming victims? 2) To what extent does cumulative disadvantage play a role in the likelihood of identity theft victimization? Preliminary findings suggest that household income is a significant indicator of identity theft victimization, with significant differences occurring at each income category analyzed. Additional preliminary findings suggest that gender and age are also relatively influential predictors of identity theft victimization. We will discuss the policy and research implications of the current study.

Author

• Thomas Meal, University of Massachusetts Lowell