A new study by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has found that identity fraud and scams are increasingly taking a severe toll on victims’ mental health, with alarming trends in both emotional distress and financial losses.
The U.S.-based nonprofit, which monitors public data breaches and supports affected individuals, surveyed 1,033 general consumers along with a sample of self-identified victims for its 2025 Consumer Impact Report.
One of the most distressing findings revealed that 25% of consumers seriously considered self-harm after becoming victims of identity crimes—an increase of 20 percentage points compared to last year. Among those who self-identified as victims, the rate surged to 68%, while only 14% of victims who sought help from the ITRC reported similar thoughts, underscoring the importance of professional and emotional support after such incidents.
The report also revealed a rise in repeat victimization. Roughly 32% of respondents experienced identity fraud twice in the past year, while 25% faced it three times—up from 24% and 17% respectively in the previous survey.
Rising Financial Losses
Financially, the scale of fraud losses continues to grow. More than 20% of victims reported losses exceeding $100,000, and over 10% lost at least $1 million, the ITRC noted. Meanwhile, around 20% of general consumer victims experienced lower-value crimes involving less than $500. These disparities suggest that victims of high-value fraud may be more likely to seek professional assistance.
ITRC CEO Eva Velasquez described the findings as “deeply troubling,” emphasizing that the data reflects the real human cost of identity crimes.
“The findings in the 2025 Consumer Impact Report are not just data points. It’s a call for action—for policymakers, financial institutions, technology companies, and consumers alike,” Velasquez stated.
“The people being harmed are real. Their pain is real. We must respond with urgency and empathy to confront this crisis head-on.”
Emerging Trends: Social Media and AI
The study identified social media account takeovers as the most prevalent form of identity crime in 2025, affecting 35% of general consumer victims, up six percentage points from the previous year.
Additionally, more than two-thirds of respondents expressed concern that artificial intelligence (AI) will become a key battleground in the fight for identity protection, as AI tools continue to be leveraged by fraudsters to craft convincing scams and impersonation attacks.
The report ultimately highlights that the identity fraud crisis is no longer limited to financial losses—it now represents a growing public health and emotional well-being challenge, calling for coordinated action across sectors to protect and support victims.