A report in November from AARP shows that 26 percent of Americans aged 55-plus have been victims of identity fraud, according to the organization.
\nHowever, more are taking additional precautions to prevent losses of personal information, as 29 percent have placed credit freezes on their credit bureau information following an identity theft incident. More than half have enrolled in identity protection or credit monitoring services, the report said.
\nThe report, \u201cIdentity Fraud in Three Acts,\u201d was developed by Javelin Strategy & Research and sponsored by AARP.
\n\u201cOlder Americans are leading more digitally infused lives, with two-thirds using online banking weekly, so it\u2019s encouraging to see that many are taking proactive steps to protect their identity following a data breach,\u201d said Kathy Stokes, director of AARP Fraud Prevention Programs. \u201cPasswords still represent a security threat, however; using repeated passwords across multiple online accounts makes it easy for criminals to crack one of them so that all of your accounts, including financial accounts, become accessible.\u201d
\nAccording to the report, consumers 55-plus want to bank using stronger security authentication. Roughly 90 percent state a desire to use more fingerprint scanning, and 80 percent view facial recognition capabilities as trustworthy forms of technology for financial transactions and private business matters.
\nThe report also said identity fraud victims age 65-plus do not necessarily change how they shop, bank or pay following a fraudulent event, with 70 percent exhibiting reluctance to change familiar habits.
\n\u201cCriminals are regularly targeting Americans aged 55-plus through a combination of sophisticated scams via computer malware and also through more traditional low-tech channels via telephone and U.S. mail,\u201d said the report\u2019s author, John Buzzard, lead analyst, fraud and security at Javelin. \u201cThe combination of high-tech and low-tech strategies unfortunately gives the upper hand to the criminal \u2014 not the consumer.\u201d
\nThe report offers several tips on protecting against identity fraud, including:
\n\u2022 Hang up on strangers, and independently verify everything.
\n\u2022 Adopt security practices that go beyond a single password. Start using a password manager tool or app to create and safely store complex passwords.
\n\u2022 Write down important numbers of companies you do business with rather than rely on a web search for a customer service number, as criminals post fake numbers online.
\n\u2022 Secure your devices \u2013 mobile phone, laptops and tablets \u2013 with a complex password, preferably with screen locks that use a fingerprint or facial recognition.
\n\u2022 Secure personal payments with digital wallets.
\nThe AARP Fraud Watch Network launched in 2013 as a free resource for people of all ages. Consumers may sign up for \u201cwatchdog alert\u201d by email or text that deliver information about scams, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to report scams or get help from trained volunteers in the event someone falls victim to scammers\u2019 tactics.
\nThe Fraud Watch Network website provides information about fraud and scams, prevention tips from experts, an interactive scam-tracking map and access to AARP\u2019s hit podcast series, The Perfect Scam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A report in November from AARP shows that 26 percent of Americans aged 55-plus have been victims of identity fraud, according to the organization. However, more are taking additional precautions to prevent losses of personal information, as 29 percent have placed credit freezes on their credit bureau information following an identity theft incident. More than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[144],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n