--- title: The 25 Worst Cities for Identity Theft So Far This Year description: Identity theft complaints are on track to surpass 1 million this year, but reported cases are higher in some areas than others. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 498 covers: - Identity Theft - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ published: '2024-09-19T18:31:34.000Z' modified: '2024-09-19T18:31:34.000Z' section: Identity Theft tags: - News word_count: 786 canonical: https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Close-up of a hand picking up an asterisk from a password, with a city landscape in the background](https://img.money.com/2023/10/News-Cities-High-Identity-Theft.jpg) For victims of identity theft, 2024 is shaping up to be another devastating year. Americans have lodged more than half a million complaints of [identity theft](https://money.com/what-is-identity-theft/) in the first half of 2024, according to the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Residents in certain cities — especially ones in Florida and Georgia — may be particularly vulnerable. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say it is the biggest non-violent crime issue that we’re facing,” Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the nonprofit [Identity Theft Resource Center](https://www.idtheftcenter.org/), told Money in an October 2023 interview. As of June, the FTC’s database contained over 550,000 complaints related to identity theft, putting 2024 on track to exceed 1 million complaints nationwide. (The FTC's database is the most comprehensive tool to track identity theft trends in the United States.) Cases of identity theft can run the gamut, but in general, scammers use someone else's personal information to take out a loan, steal government benefits or commit another type of financial fraud. ## Protect yourself from the threat of Identity Theft ### With comprehensive and affordable Identity Theft Protection software, Aura will secure your personal information. Click your state to get the protection you deserve. [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/ic5fc45d4cf6?ap_referrer=%2Fworst-cities-identity-theft%2F) Annual identity theft complaints have surpassed 1 million before — but only since the COVID-19 crisis, due in large part to rampant theft of pandemic-related benefits programs, like PPP business loans and boosted unemployment insurance. Velasquez says that type of theft is largely over. Yet identity theft complaints remain elevated, as thieves appear to have changed tactics. Now, credit card fraud has become far and away the most common type of identity theft reported to the FTC, representing about 40% of all cases in the database. Despite the inundation of complaints over the past few years, Velasquez says identity theft remains “vastly underreported.” ## Worst cities for identity theft Here are 25 metropolitan areas with the most identity theft complaints per capita. | **Metro** | **Complaints per 100,000 residents** | **Total complaints** | | --- | --- | --- | | Miami, Florida | 417 | 25,434 | | Atlanta, Georgia | 327 | 19,706 | | Las Vegas, Nevada | 284 | 6,332 | | Houston, Texas | 276 | 19,452 | | Las Angeles, California | 263 | 34,678 | | Orlando, Florida | 259 | 6,817 | | Dallas, Texas | 230 | 17,360 | | Baton Rouge, Lousiana | 228 | 1,976 | | Lakeland, Florida | 224 | 1,601 | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 221 | 13,709 | | Killeen, Texas | 215 | 1,005 | | Albany, Georgia | 208 | 311 | | Tampa, Florida | 202 | 6,355 | | Savannah, Georgia | 201 | 809 | | Macon, Georgia | 200 | 467 | | Midland, Texas | 195 | 335 | | Boston, Massachusetts | 194 | 9,543 | | Port St. Lucie, Florida | 193 | 934 | | Columbus, Georgia-Alabama | 192 | 626 | | Beaumont, Texas | 192 | 763 | | Sumter, South Carolina | 187 | 256 | | Naples, Florida | 186 | 692 | | Memphis, Tennessee | 184 | 2,463 | | Odessa, Texas | 184 | 297 | | Chicago, Illinois | 183 | 17,544 | Cities across Florida and Georgia — the two [worst states for identity theft](https://money.com/states-high-identity-theft-2023/) complaints — notably dominate the list. While identity theft complaints often mirror states' overall crime rates, there are many factors at play. And some industry experts point out that it’s difficult to draw conclusions from the trends in the FTC data. They say complaints are simply an indicator of who is most likely to *report* identity theft rather than experience it. ## Identity theft tips There are steps you can take to [protect yourself from identity theft](https://money.com/how-to-report-identity-theft/) and manage your money after it has happened. Here's what experts recommend: - **Freeze your credit:** Even if you haven’t experienced identity theft, experts say you should [freeze your credit](https://money.com/how-to-freeze-your-credit/) as a preventative measure. Whenever you need new credit, you can briefly unfreeze it then freeze it again. That way if your identity is stolen, the thieves won’t be able to open new credit cards or take out loans in your name. - **‘Embrace skepticism’:** Velasquez says folks should “embrace skepticism” when people — who could be identity thieves posing as government or bank workers — contact you asking for information. With artificial intelligence, it’s easier than ever to generate scripts and convincing graphics to make it appear like the request is coming from a valid source. That’s why experts say not to engage with the person if you weren’t the one to initiate contact. - **Use unique passwords:** “Up your password game,” Velasquez says, recommending strong and unique passwords across all of your accounts. (That means no repeats.) [Password managers](https://money.com/best-password-managers/) can help you create and keep track of your various account credentials. For added protection, she recommends enabling multi-factor identification (MFA) if available. MFA will help verify your identity when you log into an account, typically by emailing, calling or texting you a one-time code that you can use to sign in. - **Get help:** Experts say identity theft affects all types of people, across all ages, races and income levels. However, victims often experience deep shame, especially older Americans. That can lead to the problem being internalized and left uncorrected. If you suspect identity theft could have happened to you, there are plenty of free resources available, including nonprofits like [Identity Theft Resource Center](https://www.idtheftcenter.org/), which can help you screen potential scams — or recover from one if it’s already happened — at no charge. The FTC also has extensive resources at [identitytheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov).~ ~ Identity thieves often succeed by pressuring you into acting quickly by handing over information or payment now. But no legitimate source is going to mind if you take a little bit of time to verify what they’re telling you or to seek advice. “Just take a beat,” Velasquez says. “You don’t have to reply, send money, give information away — you can take five minutes to think.” ## Get proactive online protection today ### Includes VPN & password manager ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29035/medium_031b14e8-19d0-4ec7-b6f0-04e29d54e75a.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/3e6449552048?bidid=4048932501&pmeta=p129-c590-u23686&ptid=664291651&ptoken=633a3bd05e73b364163acd9c123121a5) ### Comprehensive 3-bureau monitoring system ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/22930/medium_1cbc8db8-3f08-443a-9212-ffc20f3572c5.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/c0b8f4043654?bidid=4048932499&pmeta=p129-c590-u23686&ptid=664291651&ptoken=511a31512fdc924b9f5dd83ca16181c8) ### Over 40 years of experience in the field ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29533/medium_0d1a7abe-469a-4c92-bc75-b14db9a97c71.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/7cf7cf57808b?bidid=4048932497&pmeta=p129-c590-u23686&ptid=664291651&ptoken=9dc822330cdf4de619a646d81b33c36f) ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/39603/medium_19e58401-022f-4bdc-bc08-ac1e419ddcdf.webp) [View Plans](https://money.com/go/605393eea25b?bidid=4048932507&pmeta=p129-c590-u23686&ptid=664291651&ptoken=25cede260110d856790dbb14ea42d58b) ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38916/medium_94286108-57cf-442c-8244-b54cf4d80c68.webp) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/ac0c0b370897?bidid=4048932503&pmeta=p129-c590-u23686&ptid=664291651&ptoken=b30d91a0b7d202479d4a1ddf486308b5) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29035/medium_031b14e8-19d0-4ec7-b6f0-04e29d54e75a.png) Protect yourself from the threat of Identity Theft with Aura [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/ce5c60e9ca63?ap_referrer=%2Fworst-cities-identity-theft%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Identity Theft", "item": "https://money.com/identity-theft/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Identity Theft Protection", "item": "https://money.com/identity-theft-protection/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The 25 Worst Cities for Identity Theft So Far This Year" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/", "name": "The 25 Worst Cities for Identity Theft So Far This Year", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2024-09-19T18:31:34.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/worst-cities-identity-theft/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-09-19T18:31:34.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "The 25 Worst Cities for Identity Theft So Far This Year", "articleSection": "Identity Theft", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2023/10/News-Cities-High-Identity-Theft.jpg", "width": 1539, "height": 967, "caption": "News-Cities-High-Identity-Theft" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. 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