4528.0 - Personal Fraud, 2010-2011 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/04/2012   
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IDENTITY THEFT

Approximately one fifth of identity theft victims (19.8%) experienced two or more incidents in the five years prior to interview in 2010-11.

One in five (19.9%) victims of identity theft indicated having their personal information used for applications for a loan or to gain credit in the five years prior to interview in 2010-11, making it the most common way that personal information was used.

Just under a third (31.8%) of identity theft victims discovered that they had been a victim of identity theft via a notification or query from a government agency, 15.1% through a bill from a business or company, and 12.0% through a credit check.

VICTIMS OF IDENTITY THEFT, How incident was discovered

(a) Includes debt collectors and don't know responses.

The most common known way that victims' personal details were obtained in the commission of identity theft was in person (28.3% of victims), followed by email/internet (10.0%), although nearly half of all victims (44.0%) reported that they did not know how their personal details were obtained.
VICTIMS OF IDENTITY THEFT, How personal details were obtained

(a) Includes telephone and post.

Just under two-thirds of victims of identity theft in the 5 years prior to interview reported the incident to an agency (65.5%). An estimated 37.2% of victims reported the incident to the police, 31.9% reported it to a business, and 29.1% reported it to another agency.

Just over a quarter (26.9%) of all victims of identity theft in the 5 years prior to interview had incurred financial losses as a result of the incident(s), with 24.1% losing $10,000 or less, and 2.8% losing more than $10,000.



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