Study: Colorado 2nd Most Vulnerable State For Identity Theft, Fraud

DENVER (CBS4)- A recent study shows that Colorado is the second most vulnerable state for identity theft and fraud. According to WalletHub.com, Colorado has some of the highest average amounts lost due to identity theft.

During the holidays, identity theft becomes a real threat. Common scams during the pandemic include thieves trying to steal stimulus payments and unemployment benefits. Other scams include tech support calls from fake IRS agents.

Experts say that to avoid being a victim, it's best to take precautions and there is one simple way to get started.

"We have so many accounts and we are constantly reusing our password and credential. So if someone gets a hold of your password, high chances are the same password that you are using for something else actually. So definitely try not to reuse passwords and things like that," said Dr. Indrakshi Ray
a professor with the Computer Science Department At Colorado State University.

Other ways to protect yourself include signing up for credit monitoring. Set up alerts to any changes to your contact information and other suspicious account activity.

CSU is hoping to make sure the younger generation is protected as well. The university is putting together a summer camp to teach high school students about cyber-bullying.