Connecticut has become a hotbed in a national identity theft epidemic, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission.
The commission”™s recently-released Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book places Connecticut second on the list of states with the highest per-capita identity theft complaints in 2015. Connecticut had a total of 8,078 complaints in 2015 more than doubling the previous year’s 3,071 complaints when it was only 14th on the commission”™s list.
The National Consumers League, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, has warned that data breaches and related scams are among the most common sources of identity theft. The organization cites data from the California consulting firm, Javelin Strategy & Research, indicating two-thirds of identity fraud victims have received a data breach notification in the past twelve months.
The league states data breaches affect millions of Americans, with millions more likely to be affected by data breach scams.
“Data breaches regularly expose sensitive personal information about millions of Connecticut consumers to cybercrime black markets,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud for the league. “Consumers can and should take steps to mitigate their risk of identity theft, but they can’t prevent it entirely. Leaders in Washington need to help make sure that the companies that hold consumers’ data protect it to the greatest extent possible.”
According to the league these steps include:
- Make sure browser, anti-virus, and operating system software are updated regularly;
- Use strong passwords that are different for each website;
- Enable two-factor authentication when possible (this is the code sent via text to your mobile phone which you use to log into a website);
- Secure your home wireless router and network;
- Don’t click on links in emails or download attachments you aren’t expecting; and
- Know what companies store your personal data and limit what you share.
- File your taxes early in the tax season. Tax-related identity theft is a top source of identity theft complaints. NCL has published a step-by-step guide to spotting and recovering from this fraud.
- Review your credit reports regularly at annualcreditreport.com and report any suspicious activity promptly.
“If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the state department of consumer protection.
