Earlier this week, PEMCO Insurance released a study that shows that younger folks – despite their reputation for being tech-savvy – leave themselves more vulnerable to identity theft than those aged 55 and above.
88% of older residents report having installed a firewall and/or spyware on their computer, while only 78% of younger residents report the same.
Similarly, 86% of those 55 and above own (and use!) a shredder, compared to 74% of younger folks.
And 84% of older citizens have registered their home or mobile phone with the “Do Not Call” Service offered by the US government at www.donotcall.gov, compared to only about half (55%) of those aged 35 and younger. This free service protects individuals’ privacy by giving them a choice on whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Once a phone number has been on the registry for 31 days, it should no longer be called. If a telemarketer calls anyway after this timeframe, a complaint may be filed.
Overall, we are pleased to see that Washingtonians take steps to protect their identity: According to the State Attorney General, Washington has dropped from 7th to 17th nationwide, when it comes to ID-Theft complaints per capita.
The study also found that women and those with higher income are more likely to take steps to protect their identity.
We were surprised to note that only one-third of Washingtonians have invested in a locking mailbox, or opted out of direct mail. I know from personal experience how important a locking mailbox can be! Several years ago, a mail thief stole some “checks” that the credit card companies often send to encourage transfer balances (or overspending!) We didn’t know that our mail had been compromised until a teller from a Bank of America branch in southern California called to confirm that we had written a check for $4,800 to a person whose name was unknown to us. It took over 3 months, and multiple notarized documents, to clear the charge from our credit card. We immediately alerted our neighbors and most of the folks on our block now have locking mail boxes. We all sleep a bit better as a result!
Should you suspect that your identity has been compromised, contact your insurance agent immediately. You may have some form of assistance available on your home insurance policy. (PEMCO Insurance provides all of their clients the services of ID Theft 911 free of charge.)
Be safe!