Rise in Identity Theft Driven by Hacked Devices and Multi-Layered Attacks

• •26% of identity crime victims faced multiple incidents, highlighting increased complexity.
• •Unauthorized device access is now the leading cause of identity theft for adults aged 35-64.
• •Only 9% of victims who experienced financial loss were able to resolve their identity theft cases.

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reports a significant shift in identity theft methods, with 26% of victims experiencing multiple concurrent incidents, up from 24% the previous year. Unauthorized device access has overtaken scams as the primary threat for adults aged 35-64. The report analyzed over 6,000 cases from April 2025 to March 2026, revealing that account takeovers comprise 50% of identity misuse cases. The complexity of these crimes is increasing, with a single compromise potentially triggering multiple issues across various accounts. Victims face challenges in recovery, especially when financial loss occurs, with only 9% able to resolve cases after losing money. Experts emphasize the need for organizations to enhance their defenses against these evolving threats.