Years ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) designated the last week of January asIdentity Theft Awareness Week. For 2026, this week is devoted to education and awareness about identity theft, which is an ever-present problem.
According to the FTC, “identity theft is one of the most-reported problems to the FTC every year.” The FTC offers free educational opportunities throughout this week, which include podcasts and webinars on how to protect yourself, how identity thieves target military service members, veterans, and their families, financial fraud, recent trends in identity theft, resources for seniors, and how local libraries can assist patrons with prevention tools.
We assume that seniors are hit the hardest with identity theft scams but, in fact, a U.S. News and World Report states that the vast majority of victims who report identity theft are between the ages of 30 and 40, followed by those aged 40-49, then 20-29. The numbers drop off for those aged 50-80. Apparently, the older you are, the more suspicious you are.
That said, U.S. News and World Report has listed 11 ways to prevent identity theft, all of which are solid tips to implement throughout the year, including this week—check them out.