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Identity Theft Survey Report 2003 - Reporting ID Theft. Most victims of ID Theft do not report the crime to criminal authorities. Only about 25 percent
of victims who participated in the survey said that they had reported the crime to local police.
Even with the more serious “New Accounts and Other Frauds” form of ID Theft, only 43
percent of victims said that they had reported their experiences to local police.
Only 22 percent of ID Theft victims said that they had notified one or more credit bureaus
about their experiences. Even among those who suffered from the “New Accounts & Other
Frauds” type of ID Theft, only 37 percent contacted a credit bureau. Of those victims who
contacted credit bureaus, 62 percent asked to have a “fraud alert” placed on their credit
reports.
Theft, including a lost or stolen wallet or pocket book or the theft of a victim’s mail, was the
most commonly mentioned way of obtaining the victim’s personal information. Approximately
25 percent of ID Theft victims reported that their information was obtained through such theft.
Approximately one-half of ID Theft victims said that they did not know how the person who
misused their personal information obtained it.
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