PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is the second-least-vulnerable state in the nation to identity theft and fraud, according to a study by WalletHub published Wednesday.
The study of states
Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud, ranked the Ocean State 50th overall, including the District of Columbia.
Data showed Rhode Island was 44th in average loss amount due to online identity theft, 34th in persons arrested for fraud per capita, 29th for fraud and other complaints per capita, 22nd in identity-theft complaints per capita, and 20th in median loss due to fraud.
Researchers at the personal finance website compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia in three key dimensions: identity theft, fraud and policy across 14 metrics.
The study concluded that Washington, D.C., was the most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. The District of Columbia scored fifth for identity-theft rank, second for fraud rank and first for policy rank. It also had a staggering 1,747 fraud complaints per 100,000 residents last year, more than anywhere else in the nation, according to the study.
Delaware was the second-most vulnerable, followed by Florida, Nevada and Georgia.
Kansas was found to be the least vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. That state scored 51st for both identity-theft rank and fraud rank and 26th for policy rank.
Connecticut was the most vulnerable among the New England states for identity theft and fraud, according to the study. That state scored 16th for identity theft rank and 32nd for both fraud rank and policy rank. Vermont was second in the region, followed by Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.