© 2024 WUGA | University of Georgia
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Georgia ranks 10th in identity fraud study

In recent years, Georgians, along with many others around the nation, have seen their personal information compromised by big data breaches. Companies like Facebook, T-Mobile and Volkswagen have been affected. A report by the personal finance website WalletHub shows how Georgia fared on its list of 2021’s States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft and Fraud.

Analyst Jill Gonzalez.

“Some Americans are more susceptible to these crimes than others, and it really does depend on where you live," Gonzalez said. "Georgia has a high prevalence of identity theft complaints per capita. It also has a large amount of loss due to things like online identity theft, it has a lot of fraud complaints.”

Gonzalez says Georgia ranks high on the list, but it’s not for lack of effort.

“Georgia is trying here," Gonzalez said. "I mean, it has a lot of policies in place, like data disposal laws and state spyware laws. There's a statewide cybersecurity task force. So there's not much more it can do.”

She says residents need to be more cautious.

“It really is coming down to things like more and more people that are online shopping, things like that," Gonzalez said. "Individuals really need to step up here.”

Washington state topped the list for being the most vulnerable while Iowa was deemed least vulnerable.

Alexia Ridley joined WUGA as Television and Radio News Anchor and Reporter in 2013. When WUGA TV concluded operations, she became the primary Reporter for WUGA Radio. Alexia came to Athens from Macon where she served as the News Director and show host for WGXA TV. She's a career journalist and Savannah native hailing from the University of Michigan. However, Alexia considers herself an honorary UGA DAWG!