IDENTITY THEFT

Approximately one fifth of identity theft victims (19.8%) experienced two or more incidents in the five years prior to interview in 2010-11.

One in five (19.9%) victims of identity theft indicated having their personal information used for applications for a loan or to gain credit in the five years prior to interview in 2010-11, making it the most common way that personal information was used.

Just under a third (31.8%) of identity theft victims discovered that they had been a victim of identity theft via a notification or query from a government agency, 15.1% through a bill from a business or company, and 12.0% through a credit check.

The most common known way that victims' personal details were obtained in the commission of identity theft was in person (28.3% of victims), followed by email/internet (10.0%), although nearly half of all victims (44.0%) reported that they did not know how their personal details were obtained.

Just under two-thirds of victims of identity theft in the 5 years prior to interview reported the incident to an agency (65.5%). An estimated 37.2% of victims reported the incident to the police, 31.9% reported it to a business, and 29.1% reported it to another agency.

Just over a quarter (26.9%) of all victims of identity theft in the 5 years prior to interview had incurred financial losses as a result of the incident(s), with 24.1% losing $10,000 or less, and 2.8% losing more than $10,000.

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