DC ranks most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud in US: study

WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C. is alarmingly vulnerable to identity theft and fraud, according to a new WalletHub study.

D.C. had 1,885 fraud complaints and 478 identity theft complaints per 100,000 residents last year, the highest in the nation. It also reported the third-highest average loss due to identity theft, exceeding $20,000.

WalletHub attributes this vulnerability to inadequate protective laws. For instance, D.C. does not allow parents or guardians to place a security freeze on minors’ credit reports and lacks an identity theft passport program to help prove identity if stolen, the personal-finance website says.

The District also does not have a cybersecurity task force or laws against computer spyware.

Delaware ranked second most vulnerable overall, followed by California, South Dakota, and Florida. Americans lost $10 billion to scams last year, WalletHub said. West Virginia ranked least vulnerable overall.

Tips for Avoiding Identity Theft & Fraud from WalletHub:

• Emphasize Email Security: Using strong passwords for all financial accounts is important, but you may not realize how essential it is to focus on email. Your primary email address will likely be your username and means of resetting your password on other websites. If it’s vulnerable, all of your other accounts will be, too. As a result, use an exceptionally secure password and establish two-step verification for this account.
• Sign up for Credit Monitoring: Credit monitoring is the best way to keep tabs on your credit report. It provides peace of mind through alerts about significant changes to your file, including potential signs of identity theft. WalletHub offers 24/7 monitoring of your TransUnion credit report if you sign up for a free account, and you can also get advanced identity theft protection with WalletHub Premium.
• Leverage Account Alerts & Update Contact Info: Setting up online management for all of your financial accounts (e.g., credit cards, loans, Social Security), and keeping your phone number, email address, and street address up to date will make them harder for identity thieves to hijack. Establishing alerts for changes to your contact info and other suspicious account activity will safeguard you.
• Use Common Sense Online: Don’t open emails you don’t recognize. Don’t download files from untrustworthy sources. Don’t send account numbers and passwords via email or messenger applications. And don’t enter financial or personal information into websites that lack the "https" prefix in their URLs.

For more tips and information, check out WalletHub’s Identity Theft Guide.