Identity theft is happening everywhere. Data from retail stores,hotels, banks and other businesses are being stolen and misused—anddata theft scams are likely to increase as the holiday seasonapproaches, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Identity fraud is on the rise for the second year in a row,affecting more than 13 million consumers in 2013, according to theFederal Trade Commission.Consumers suffered total fraud losses of more $18 billion,averaging $2,294 per incident, and more than 11 hours trying toresolve the average case.

October is NationalCyber Security Awareness Month, a reminder for consumers toreview their bank statements and credit card bills to confirm thatall the transactions listed are legitimate. Individuals should alsobe vigilant when using their smartphones, tablets and other devicesthat store personal information digitally.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.