 TITLE: Identity Theft Statistics CONTENT: The Financial and Emotional Impacts of Identity Theft\n-----------------------------------------------------\nThe ITRC's latest _Aftermath_ study showed 27% of identity theft complainants reported they contacted law enforcement about the theft. Of those, 87% indicated a report was taken.\nHowever, identity theft has consequences beyond the loss of data and personal information—it can take a lot of time and money to resolve and can bring emotional distress. The statistics from the study show:\n*   26% of respondents had to borrow money from family or friends.\n*   22% took time off work.\n*   15.3% of respondents sold possessions to pay for expenses caused by their identity theft.\n*   6.7% obtained a payday loan.\n> 26% of survey respondents borrowed money from family or friends to deal with identity theft and 7% obtained a payday loan.\nEmbed\nWhen it comes to the emotional impact of identity theft, many feel annoyance about the fact that they have to spend so many hours dealing with the problem, often taking time away from work. These statistics about the emotional impact of identity theft:\n*   66% of respondents experienced fear regarding their personal financial security.\n*   53% felt a sense of powerlessness or helplessness.\n*   7% reported feeling suicidal. (If you're feeling suicidal for this or any other reason, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.)\n*   75% of identity theft victims reported that they were severely distressed by the misuse of their information.\n*   25% of respondents said they sought professional help to manage their identity theft experience—either going to a doctor for their physical symptoms, or seeking some kind of counseling (therapy, group therapy, or some kind of support in that manner for the emotional implications). END