Americans may be taking identity theft more seriously one year after the Equifax data breach. In a LendingTree.com survey of roughly 1,000 people, over 90 percent of respondents reported taking some kind of action to protect themselves.
65 percent of the sample group reported that they now pay more attention to their online bank and credit card statements, while 51 percent check their credit score and 37 percent review their credit report. Overall, 81 percent said that they were taking identity theft either somewhat or much more seriously.
While the survey definitely shows progress, it also demonstrates that there’s a long way to go before best practices for personal protection become commonplace. A minimal number of respondents reported taking more proactive steps recommended by experts, including subscribing to a credit monitoring service (11 percent), or freezing credit (8 percent). 25 percent reported having never changed their financial personal identification number.
It remains to be seen if another Equifax-level breach would move the needle further, or if the survey results represent a plateau of compliance and consumer awareness after a year’s worth of news stories detailing the fallout. In either case, the experts’ advice remains the same: Check credit scores and reports, practice good data hygiene online and freeze credit when possible.
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This article originally appeared on AdamLevin.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Featured Image Credit: depositphotos.com.
