Washington, D.C. metro area residents feel the effects of data breaches and identity theft

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Data breaches are affecting consumers nationwide and residents in and around Washington, D.C. are not immune to the consequences. According to a survey by Experian's ProtectMyID^®, 57 percent of survey respondents have been a victim of identity theft or know someone who has, with about two out of three victims experiencing fraudulent charges on their credit or debit cards. Twenty-eight percent discovered a new account was opened in their name.

Survey respondents became aware they were victims of identity theft by their financial institution or card issuer (35 percent) or by noticing charges on their payment card themselves (30 percent). Almost 50 percent of survey respondents attribute the theft to a data breach. One out of five local residents are victims of medical identity theft.

While data breaches are out of consumers' hands, many D.C. metro area residents are not being as vigilant as they could be in protecting themselves. Only 37 percent of survey respondents are somewhat likely to take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information, and 12 percent are not likely. Many consumers' still practice risky behaviors such as failing to password-protect their smartphone or tablet device (49 percent) or not developing difficult PINs and passwords (61 percent). A majority also believe that monitoring all of their financial transactions is too time-consuming (63 percent). Yet, 65 percent of survey respondents believe that they are the most responsible for the security of their personal information.

Some of the good security habits D.C. metro area residents are practicing include avoiding sharing their Social Security number unless required by law (74 percent of survey respondents), being wary of phishing scams (67 percent of survey respondents) and storing their Social Security card in a safe place (65 percent of survey respondents). Survey respondents are looking to improve their security practices, with 40 percent seeking to monitor their payment-card transactions "more often" and 35 percent seeking to do so "more closely" as 2015 New Year's resolutions.

"All consumers should be concerned about their personal information being used for identity theft and frud, especially with the proliferation of data breaches," said Becky Frost, senior manager of Consumer Education for Experian's ProtectMyID. "However, it's not all doom and gloom. Consumers can reduce their risk by being consistently vigilant and getting extra help with an identity protection monitoring product."

How DC area residents will safeguard their identities in 2015

• Almost 40 percent of survey respondents will limit what personal information they provide to businesses
• Thirty-four percent of survey respondents will check their credit report more often
• More than a quarter of survey respondents are going to purchase or update their antivirus or antimalware programs
• Twenty-six percent of survey respondents will shop more with a credit card instead of a debit card

Key steps to protect your identity

• Change passwords regularly
• Avoid sharing personally identifying information, such as your birthday, on social networks
• Shred financial documents before disposing of them
• Review credit reports regularly, and watch for signs of fraud
• If you receive a data-breach notification letter from a business, follow the instructions and enroll in its offer of free protection products
• Have a partner in the fight against identity theft, consider enrolling in identity protection monitoring and take action if you receive alerts that your identity could be compromised

About the survey

The online survey was conducted by Qualtrics on behalf of Experian from March 2–6, 2015, among 913 adults ages 18 and older living in or around Washington, D.C. This online survey is not based on a probability sample; therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Experian's ProtectMyID

ProtectMyID is a leading, full-service provider of identity theft detection, protection and resolution. ProtectMyID offers identity theft protection supported by experienced identity theft resolution professionals who deliver personal attention that customers can rely on. ProtectMyID.com^® is a Website owned by ConsumerInfo.com^® Inc., an Experian company. For more information about how ProtectMyID helps consumers protect themselves against identity theft, please visit http://www.protectmyid.com.

About Experian

We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft. In 2014, we were named by Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies."

We employ approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2014, was US$4.8 billion.

To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside Experian."

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Experian’s ProtectMyID

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