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How Well Do Consumers Protect Themselves from Identity Theft?
Author(s) -
MILNE GEORGE R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of consumer affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1745-6606
pISSN - 0022-0078
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6606.2003.tb00459.x
Subject(s) - identity theft , identity (music) , business , internet privacy , advertising , law and economics , economics , computer science , aesthetics , art
Identity theft is a serious and increasingly prevalent crime, and consumers need to take preventative measures to minimize the chance of becoming a victim. In an effort to assess consumer preparedness, this exploratory study measured the self‐reported behavior of 61 college students and 59 non‐students on thirteen identity theft preventative activities that were suggested by the Federal Trade Commission. Consumer education appears to be adequate for several identify theft preventative behaviors, but not for others. In addition, students and non‐students demonstrated some interesting divergencies in behavior. Based on these preliminary findings, areas for increased consumer education and future research are recommended.