Identity theft could affect 50 million people annually if current rates double: Estimated identity theft in 2024 at current rates and under possible increases
| Current rates | 50% increase | 100% increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of victims, annual | 25,120,000 | 37,681,000 | 50,241,000 |
| Total dollars lost, annual | $19,705,606,000 | $29,558,409,000 | $39,411,213,000 |
| Total hours spent resolving a single incident | 116,258,000 | 174,386,000 | 232,515,000 |
Notes: The estimate of victims is the 2024 Census resident population, ages 16 and above, using the 2021 victimization rate, mean dollars lost (adjusted for inflation since 2021), and mean hours spent from Harrell and Thompson's analysis of Bureau of Justice Statistics data (2023).
Sources: Authors' analysis of Bureau of Justice Statistics data, the chained CPI-U, and Census population estimates.