Probability of Loss: Identity Theft Risk Across Breach Vectors

Identity theft remains a serious and evolving threat in the United States. Although consumer complaints peaked during the pandemic—surpassing 1.4 million in 2021—identity theft continued to impact more than 1.1 million Americans in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Behind this ongoing crisis is a highly organized fraud ecosystem. Stolen
identities are harvested through data breaches, mail theft, and the theft of physical documents. 

This report explores how different breach vectors—the ways identities are exposed—affect the likelihood, intensity, and duration of identity theft. It also examines which industries are most commonly targeted by fraudsters using different types of compromised data.