If you have ever been the victim of identity theft, you know what a hassle it is. And it can be quite expensive to untangle the mess. If you have not been a victim, you probably know someone who has. Kim Komando reports the Federal Trade Commission report more than 400,000 cases of credit card fraud happen every year. That number keeps climbing.
The FTC gets more than 1 million complaints of identity theft every year.
The agency says these five states saw the biggest rise in identity theft in 2025
1. Mississippi • Identity theft reports per 100,000 people: 410 • Change in per-capita identity theft: +53.0%2. Florida • Identity theft reports per 100,000 people: 728 • Change in per-capita identity theft: +37.9%3. Illinois • Identity theft reports per 100,000 people: 467 • Change in per-capita identity theft: +37.8%4. Alabama • Identity theft reports per 100,000 people: 369 • Change in per-capita identity theft: +37.2%5. Louisiana • Identity theft reports per 100,000 people: 472 • Change in per-capita identity theft: +36.4%
Top Cities for Identity Theft (Highest Rates Per Capita):
1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (Approx. 903 per 100k) 2. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA (Approx. 690 per 100k) 3. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (Approx. 573 per 100k) 4. Tuscaloosa, AL 5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (550 per 100k) [1, 2, 3, 4]
Here are the identity theft rates for Louisiana’s biggest cities
New Orleans 2148 reports which is 529 per 100K populationBaton Rouge 2,093 reports which is 840 per 100K populationShreveport 903 reports which is 232 per 100K populationLafayette 750 reports which is 183 per 100K populationMonroe 487 reports which is 217 per 100K populationLake Charles 384 reports which is 156 per 100K populationAlexandria 260 reports which is 173 per 100K population
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But this report does have some bad news for Louisiana. Baton Rouge leads the nation for growth in identity theft. These crimes are up by more than 59% in the capitol city from one year ago.
What Are Some Things You Can Do to Prevent Identity Theft?
1. Protect your Social Security number.
You should not carry your Social Security card in your wallet.
2. Medical Card Number Change
If your health insurance carrier uses your Social Security number, ask them for a new number.
3. Beware of Phishing
Scammers will try to trick you by pretending to be government agencies or banks. Never give person info out to someone who calls you if you don’t know them…