DOVER — Finding 18 percent of Delawareans have been the victim of financial abuse, like taking a credit card out or making a contract in someone else’s name, a study of 3,000 respondents found the state relatively safe from predators unlike states like Tennessee, which the study names as the worst.
Tennesseans reported a rate of 71 percent, with Mississippi and Wyoming second with 60 percent.
According to the study, the national average is 43 percent.
“If you suspect that someone you know is financially abusive, contact a lawyer or seek professional advice straight away,” Jon McDonald, senior editor at CardRates.com , which conducted the study, said. “Financial abuse is often something that often occurs over years, and won’t stop on its own.”
Respondents were also asked what they thought was the worst form of financial abuse, with the top response at 47 percent being loans or contracts taken out without consent. The next worst, according to the study at 25 percent, thought it was unauthorized credit card use.