According to the study, affluent suburbans top the list of the most at risk consumers for identity fraud. The study was based on an analysis of 5,000 independent records of fraud and 34,000 record of non-fraud. It compared data from ‘Experian Marketing Services’ Mosaic system, a lifestyle segmentation system, which classifies U.S. households and neighborhoods according to demographics, lifestyle preferences, and behavioral characteristics.

Consumers in “Affluent Suburbia,” (i.e.) the wealthiest and often most exclusive neighborhoods, were found to be the most common victims of identity theft and credit card fraud. According to the study, fraud victims were 43 % more likely to live in affluent suburban neighborhoods than non-victims. Second on the list were those in the “Upscale America” demographic: college-educated couples and families living in metropolitan sprawl, who have high incomes, large homes, and comfortable, active lifestyles. The number of fraud victims in this category was 22 percent higher than that of non-victims. Victims were 13 % more likely to hold a college level degree and 73 percent more likely to hold an advanced degree.

In sum, like the burglars of yore, identity thieves tend to target the affluent. People living in wealthy neighborhoods may be protected against burglary by a private security service. However, that does not secure them against e.g. a house help or workman getting a hold of vital personal information or from someone lifting credit card statements from their trash. The most common form of identity theft is using someone’s personal information to open a checking account, a credit card account, or a mobile phone account. In 43 percent of identity theft cases, the fraud is perpetrated by someone that the victim knows. The cost to victims, on average, is upwards of $6,000.