A recent poll by PEMCO Insurance found that younger consumers do not do enough to protect themselves from identity theft.
The survey found 55 percent of respondents 35 and younger have enrolled in the government’s “do not call” list, compared with 85 percent of individuals 55 and older.
In addition, older residents use firewalls and spyware protection much more frequently than young people – 88 percent to 78 percent, respectively.
“It’s encouraging to see that most people are vigilant about protecting their personal information from fraud,” said Jon Osterberg, spokesperson for PEMCO. “Still, we think there’s more that residents, and especially younger people, can do to keep their information safe.”
The study also found women and those who are in higher-income tiers do more to protect their identities from thieves. Overall, the study noticed that not enough people opt-out of direct mail, or have a lock on their mailbox, which can prove problematic because criminals are known to steal from post drops.
Because of the potential damage by identity theft, individuals should be vigilant when making transactions and destroying unneeded paperwork, as it will better protect them from unwanted headaches.