Technology is a wonderful thing. However, it can also be the cause of nightmares. With respect to this blog entry, that nightmare is identity theft. There are certain locations where identity theft is especially prevalent and especially frightening.

As people flock to states like Florida and Texas for a warmer climate, someone they would rather not see is following them. As reported in www.investinganswers.com.

Of the top five states among reported identity thefts, all are in the southernmost regions of the country.

At the bottom of the list? North and South Dakota.

Did you know that identity theft affects as many as 9 million Americans a year?

The majority of identity theft cases occur when thieves steal private personal data from a victim's computer, lift it from an unsecured WiFi network or an online transaction or hack the victim with viruses and other malicious software delivered through email phishing attacks.

Some states are particularly prone to these activities. Florida has the highest per capita rate of reported identity theft complaints, followed by Georgia, California, Arizona and Texas.

Robbing the Government

So what exactly happens when identity is stolen? Who is getting ripped off besides the person whose identity has been stolen?

The most commonly reported form of identity theft in these five states was government documents/benefits fraud, followed by employment-related and credit-card fraud.

Perhaps it is not surprising that the states where identity theft is most common are the most densely populated while the least densely populated, Montana, Maine, South Dakota and North Dakota ranked lowest on the list.

The best way to combat identity theft is to prevent people from stealing in the first place. More emphasis needs to be placed on theft classes and educating our youth against theft.