According to a report issued by Javelin Strategy & Research, identity fraud increased by 13 percent in 2011 to more than 11.6 million adults who have become victims of identity fraud in the United States. Consumer behavior, in particular social media and mobile behaviors may be putting consumers at greater risk.
According to the report, 68 percent of people with public social media profiles shared their birthday information, high school name, phone numbe or pet’s name, which is all information used to verify one’s identity. 62 percent of smart phone users do not use a passwords enabling anyone to access their information if their phone gets in the wrong hands.
Notaries can help protect against identity fraud by following state law and best practices and requiring signers to be personally present as proof of identity.
