Credit Card Fraud in East Texas Hits Gen X The Most
If you're a guy in gen X, watch your credit card statements! Men are more likely than women to be victims of fraud, and criminals hit gen X the most.
Credit card fraud is a huge pain in the patoot. It costs banks money, it's a hassle to deal with, and it makes people question their belief in the goodness of humanity. Fraudsters pick on innocent people, and credit card owners with hearts are left wondering how they can sleep at night. I hope my granny was right when she said, "they'll get their comeuppance."
Finder.com said 21.8 million men have been victims of credit card fraud, and 15.3 million women. It could be anything from a tiny charge you didn't make at Target, to someone in another country charging hundreds of pairs of shoes to your Visa. (The shoes actually ended up on my dad's credit card a few years ago, and it took a couple of weeks to sort out. He didn't have to pay anything in the end).
Most of the credit card fraud happens to gen X, according to Finder, with 11.4 million people falling victim to the unscrupulous types. Millennials are not far behind with 10.8 million victims, along with 9.7 million baby boomers. Only 3 million in gen Z have been victims, but that might be because gen Z hasn't had enough time to accumulate a wallet full of plastic just yet.
Here's how Finder breaks it down.
Gen Z — 1997-2002
Millennials — 1981-1996
Gen X — 1965-1980
Baby boomers — 1946-1964
Finder says too that the likelihood of becoming a victim of credit card fraud increases along with income levels. With an income of less than $20,000, credit card fraud is rare. But about a third of adults who earn more than $120,000 annually have been hit by fraud.
We know the drill. Online, scammers use phishing scams and unsecured store websites to steal credit card information. Offline, thieves are going dumpster diving to dig for old bank statements, and sometimes they're installing skimmers on credit card readers to steal information. There's so much to watch out for! Avoiding a suspicious link is a good start, along with watching for return email addresses that don't match the perceived source.
Georgia, Florida, and California have the most credit card fraud, but Texas is not immune. Heads up, guys! Odds are you'll be targeted before your wife, especially if you're in gen X. Keep up the savvy approach, while we wait for the scammers to get their comeuppance.