One in five Australians victims of identity fraud: Study

Sydney, July 5 (ANI): Nearly one in five Australian citizens have had their identities stolen, or had their personal or financial data illegally accessed, according to a new report.

The study conducted by the data intelligence group Veda, revealed that people aged 35-49 are the most likely group to fall victim to identity fraud, while 18-24 year olds are the least likely to report illegal access to their personal, or financial data.

The study, which covered over 1000 Australian adults, showed that credit card crime such as skimming is one of the major problems plaguing consumers, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The Australian Debt Stud found that people earning over 70,000 dollars are much more likely to be targeted for bank account and credit card crime than those earning 40,000 dollars a year or less.

Findings also show that almost one in three Australians suffered some form of credit crime and lost their wallet containing credit cards and identification.

The results of the study came as a 29-year-old Mascot man was recently charged with the alleged possession of ATM skimming devices, hundreds of bank cards and seven duplicating machines. (ANI)