Credit card fraud accounts for 36% of all identity theft reports in the U.S., with 420,498 total cases, a rate of 124 incidents per 100,000 residents. This forms part of a new study that reveals that credit card fraud is by far the most common type of identity theft in America.
The analysis derives from GBG. The company looked into FBI Crime Data Explorer statistics across all U.S. states to identify the fraud types most prevalent across U.S. states and how rates compare to national averages.
The most common types of identity theft in the U.S.
| Rank | Identity theft type | Total reports | Reports per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Credit card fraud | 420,498 | 124 |
| 2 | “Other” identity theft | 301,250 | 89 |
| 3 | Loan and lease fraud | 164,540 | 49 |
| 4 | Bank account fraud | 97,635 | 29 |
| 5 | Phone or utilities fraud | 70,900 | 21 |
| 6 | Employment or tax-related fraud | 59,184 | 17 |
| 7 | Government documents or benefits fraud | 53,155 | 16 |
Nationwide, credit card fraud accounts for more than one-third of all identity theft reports, with 420,498 cases recorded – an average of 124 per 100,000 residents.
California reports the highest rate, with 1,325 cases per 100,000 residents, which is 969% above the national average. Florida comes next at 1,124 cases per 100,000 residents (807% above average), and Texas records 862 cases per 100,000 residents (596% above average).
“Other” identity theft – the broad category for scams that don’t fit standard definitions – makes up 25.8% of reports, amounting to 301,250 cases nationwide at a rate of 89 per 100,000 residents.
California again sits at the top, logging 746 cases per 100,000 residents (740% above the national average). Texas reports 736 cases per 100,000 residents (729% above average) and Florida is close behind with 726 cases per 100,000 residents (717% above average).
Loan and lease fraud represents 14.1% of identity theft cases, with 164,540 incidents across the country – a rate of 49 cases per 100,000 residents.
Texas now sees the steepest rate, with 491 cases per 100,000 residents (912% above the national average). California comes next with 361 cases per 100,000 residents (645% above average) and Florida just a fraction lower at 360 per 100,000 residents (642% above average).
Bank account fraud is responsible for 8.4% of all reports, with 97,635 cases nationwide and a rate of 29 cases per 100,000 residents.
Massachusetts tops the list with 61 cases per 100,000 residents (112% above the national average). Colorado reports 37 per 100,000 residents (30% above average) and Pennsylvania reports 36 per 100,000 residents (26% above average).
Phone or utilities fraud makes up 6.1% of identity theft – 70,900 cases nationwide – at a rate of 21 per 100,000 residents.
Texas reports the highest level, with 176 cases per 100,000 residents (743% above the national average). California follows with 139 per 100,000 residents (566% above average) and Florida records 123 per 100,000 residents (488% above average).
Employment or tax-related fraud accounts for 5.1% of identity theft reports – 59,184 cases – which equals 17 per 100,000 residents nationwide.
California leads with 201 cases per 100,000 residents (1,050% above the national average). Texas reports 133 per 100,000 residents (664% above average) and Florida comes in at 75 per 100,000 residents (331% above average).
Government documents or benefits fraud represents 4.6% of cases, with 53,155 total reports – a national rate of 16 per 100,000 residents.
California records the highest figure here too, with 125 cases per 100,000 residents (698% above the national average). Texas reports 95 cases per 100,000 residents (502% above average) and New York records 83 per 100,000 residents (428% above average).
The five states with the highest rates of identity theft reports per 100,000 residents in the U.S.
| Rank | State | Total reports per 100,000 people | Credit card reports per 100,000 people | “Other” identity theft reports per 100,000 people | Bank account reports per 100,000 people | Loan or lease reports per 100,000 people | Phone or utilities reports per 100,000 people | Employment or tax-related reports per 100,000 people | Government documents or benefits reports per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Georgia | 615 | 507 | 375 | 30 | 237 | 75 | 44 | 29 |
| 2 | Florida | 577 | 1,124 | 726 | 31 | 360 | 123 | 75 | 66 |
| 3 | Nevada | 539 | 129 | 89 | 30 | 57 | 21 | 15 | 12 |
| 4 | Delaware | 446 | 35 | 24 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 443 | 222 | 166 | 61 | 50 | 19 | 24 | 48 |
Georgia has the highest overall rate of identity theft in the country, with 615 cases per 100,000 residents – 130% higher than the national average of 267 cases per 100,000 people.
Florida ranks second with 577 cases per 100,000 residents, 116% above the national average.
Nevada is third with 539 cases per 100,000 residents – 102% above the national average.
Delaware comes in fourth at 446 cases per 100,000 residents (67% higher than the national average), while Massachusetts rounds out the top five with 443 cases per 100,000 residents – 66% above the national average.
