More than 15 million people were affected by identity fraud in the U.S. last year, according to a recent study by Javelin Strategy & Research.
The identity fraud incidence rate increased by 16%, a record high since the company began tracking identity fraud in 2003. Fraudsters successfully adapted to net two million more victims last year, compared to 2015.
The amount fraudsters took increased by nearly one billion dollars, totaling at $16 billion.
“There was a resurgence in existing card fraud in 2016, which saw an increase of 40 percent in card-not-present (CNP) fraud,” the company said in a release. “The increase in EMV cards and terminals was a catalyst for driving fraudsters to shift to fraudulently opening new accounts. On a positive note, while fraudsters are becoming better at evading detection, consumers with an online presence are getting better at detecting fraud quicker, leading to less stolen overall per attempt.”
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