25:["$","$L26",null,{"category":"$27","relatedArticles":[{"id":"cG9zdDo2OTg4Ng==","databaseId":69886,"postId":69886,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo3Mw==","databaseId":73,"userId":73,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a315ec8e032d3b1a0d5e36b7e0cde587?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Chris Thompson is Senior Managing Editor of SEO at SmartAsset. He's an expert in many areas of personal finance, including retirement, estate planning, savings, taxes and financial planning. He has worked in the personal finance industry for nearly a decade as both an editor and writer. Chris studied communications in Austria and ultimately graduated with a journalism degree from Montclair State University, where he also received the coveted Journalism Achievement Award.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":"Retirement, Estate Planning, Savings, Taxes","__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Chris","fullName":"Chris Thompson","lastName":"Thompson","name":"Chris Thompson","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":75,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"cthompson","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":89,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$28","date":"2018-02-05T10:00:30","excerpt":"

\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxODk3MTk=","databaseId":189719,"altText":"What Is the CVV on a Credit Card?","date":"2023-03-07T02:00:31","fileSize":37914,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2023-03-07T02:00:31","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/02/iStock-609087476.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2024-1-9","readable":"January 9, 2024"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/cvv-on-a-credit-card","metaDesc":"The CVV on a credit card might seem mysterious, but it's actually there to strengthen the security of your card. Learn more here.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":6,"title":"What Is the CVV on a Credit Card? - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"cvv-on-a-credit-card","status":"publish","title":"What Is the CVV on a Credit Card?","uri":"/credit-cards/cvv-on-a-credit-card","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo3Mw==","databaseId":73,"userId":73,"avatar":"$29","description":"Chris Thompson is Senior Managing Editor of SEO at SmartAsset. He's an expert in many areas of personal finance, including retirement, estate planning, savings, taxes and financial planning. He has worked in the personal finance industry for nearly a decade as both an editor and writer. Chris studied communications in Austria and ultimately graduated with a journalism degree from Montclair State University, where he also received the coveted Journalism Achievement Award.","additionalMeta":"$2a","email":null,"firstName":"Chris","fullName":"Chris Thompson","lastName":"Thompson","name":"Chris Thompson","postCount":"$2b","slug":"chris-thompson","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":"$2e","databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":89,"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

If you’ve made a purchase online or over the phone, you’re probably familiar with the three sets of credit card numbers you have to hand over. These numbers include the credit card number, the expiration date and the CVV. If you’re an online shopping pro, you’ll know where to find the CVV. We explain everything you need to know about this security measure on your cards.

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What Is the CVV on a Credit Card?

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A credit card’s CVV acts as another line of security against fraud. The CVV, or card verification value, can also be referred to as the CSC, or card security code. These numbers serve as one of the most important anti-fraud measures for a credit or debit card, especially with the rise of virtual transactions. So when you make a purchase online or over the phone, giving the CVV assures a merchant that the purchase is legitimate and authorized.

","

When you use your card in person, retailers can check your ID to make sure you’re the cardholder. But merchants can’t do the same when you make an online purchase. Instead, the CVV serves a substitute for personal identification. Plus, your card carrier can verify your card’s unique CVV in the event verification is needed.

","

Not all merchants require you to enter your CVV when making a purchase. This doesn’t make a merchant illegitimate, however. In any case, you always want to make sure you’re handing over your credit card information to a merchant you trust.

","

Where to Find Your Card’s CVV

","

Card carriers print their CVVs in different places on their cards, so it’s important to know where the CVV is on your card(s). If you have a Visa, Mastercard or Discover card, you can find the three-digit CVV on the back of your card to the right of the signature strip. The number may also be adjacent to either your full credit card number, or just the last four digits of it.

","

However, if you have an American Express card, you can find the CVV on the front, right side of your card. Also note that Amex calls this number a card identification number (CID). An Amex CID is also four digits instead of three.

","

","

How a CVV Protects You

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A card’s CVV comes in handy mostly for online purchases. Again, it acts as another line of defense against fraud. So even if a hacker gains access to your credit card number, expiration date and full name, they still need your CVV to complete the transaction. Luckily, CVVs aren’t as easily obtainable as your other credit card information.

","

This is due to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DDS). This was created by Amex, Discover®, Mastercard, Visa and other credit card leaders to establish standard rules for credit card information storage. One of its main stipulations states that merchants cannot store your CVV after you make a purchase. However, there’s nothing preventing merchants from storing the rest of your card’s information, like the credit card number. This makes it harder for criminals to find the CVV attached to your credit card number.

","

The CVV also works in tandem with a credit card’s magnetic strip and the newer EMV chip technology. The printed CVV on your card is embedded in the card’s magnetic strip. The chip has a digital CVV equivalent called the Integrated Chip Card Card Verification Value (iCVV). So when you use your card in person, whether you swipe or insert the chip, your CVV will still be confirmed.

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Limitations of a CVV

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Typically, the issues that arise with CVVs are often self-inflicted by the cardholder. Since it’s hard for fraudsters to obtain your CVV through a credit card database, they turn to other illegal means. This includes phishing and physically stealing your cards.

","

These scams occur as the occasional email or pop-up on your computer, enticing you to make an online purchase. Some scams are easy to spot, due to misspelling or other obvious errors. However, because online merchants so often ask you to enter your CVV, hackers can also include that requirement on their fraudulent page. If you enter your credit card information, including the CVV, the hackers have easily gained access to your account.

","

Of course, there is always the possibility of getting your credit card physically stolen. In this case, the thieves don’t need to hack anything since all your information is there on the card. Your best bet is to cancel your card as soon as possible, request a new card from your issuer and dispute any unauthorized charges made to the account.

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Bottom Line

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While in-person purchases aren’t entirely foolproof, online transactions put you and your information more at risk of fraud. To combat this, credit card providers created CVVs and their associated regulations to help keep your personal credit information safe. You can help protect yourself, too, by only entering your card information on websites you trust.

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Credit Card Tips

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Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Georgijevic, CVVnumber.com, ©iStock.com/ShotShare, ©iStock.com/wutwhanfoto

"],"experts":null,"link":"/credit-cards/cvv-on-a-credit-card","published":{"datetime":"2018-2-5","readable":"February 5, 2018"},"shareInfo":{"title":"What Is the CVV on a Credit Card?","origin":"/credit-cards/cvv-on-a-credit-card"},"isNewsArticle":false},{"id":"cG9zdDo2NTg4NA==","databaseId":65884,"postId":65884,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo3MA==","databaseId":70,"userId":70,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/33d9b1511717f4571d57eca5df939758?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Danielle Klimashousky is a freelance writer who covers a variety of personal finance topics for SmartAsset. She is an expert on topics including credit cards and home buying. Danielle has a BA in English from Wesleyan University.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Danielle","fullName":"Danielle Klimashousky","lastName":"Klimashousky","name":"Danielle Klimashousky","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":37,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"dklimashousky","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":89,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$31","date":"2017-08-14T07:00:34","excerpt":"

\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxNzE4NTM=","databaseId":171853,"altText":"SmartAsset: What Credit Cards Does Sam's Club Accept?","date":"2022-11-08T17:23:44","fileSize":40215,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2022-11-08T17:23:44","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/08/sams-club-1.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2023-9-1","readable":"September 1, 2023"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/what-credit-cards-does-sams-club-accept","metaDesc":"So, what credit cards does Sam's Club accept? Sam's Club accepts all major credit cards, plus cash, checks, debit cards, SNAP, Sam's Club gift cards ...","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":6,"title":"What Credit Cards Does Sam's Club Accept? - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"what-credit-cards-does-sams-club-accept","status":"publish","title":"What Credit Cards Does Sam’s Club Accept?","uri":"/credit-cards/what-credit-cards-does-sams-club-accept","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo3MA==","databaseId":70,"userId":70,"avatar":"$32","description":"Danielle Klimashousky is a freelance writer who covers a variety of personal finance topics for SmartAsset. She is an expert on topics including credit cards and home buying. Danielle has a BA in English from Wesleyan University.","additionalMeta":"$33","email":null,"firstName":"Danielle","fullName":"Danielle Klimashousky","lastName":"Klimashousky","name":"Danielle Klimashousky","postCount":"$34","slug":"danielle-klimashousky","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":"$37","databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":89,"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

If you’re trying to figure out what credit cards does Sam’s Club accept to make sure you bring the right one to the store, don’t worry! Sam’s Club accepts all major credit cards. A few years ago, the list of credit cards accepted by Sam’s Club was limited, but more recently that has changed and now all cardholders can shop at Sam’s Club with ease.

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Check out the best rewards credit cards.

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Until 2006, Sam’s Club only took Discover cards. In an effort to compete with other major retailers, Sam’s Club added Mastercard to its accepted cards in 2006. Then, in October 2015, just after Costco announced it would stop taking American Express cards, Sam’s Club said it would begin accepting AmEx. In January 2016, Sam’s Club announced it would also accept Visa cards. So, no matter what card you have in your wallet, you can use it at Sam’s Club.

","

The Sam’s Club® Mastercard®

","

","

Sam’s Club members may want to consider signing up for the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® for its convenience and cash back bonuses. The credit card has no annual fee for club members and members can use it in place of a Sam’s Club ID card to access the store. Cardholders also earn 5% cash back on gas on their first $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% on dining and travel and 1% on other purchases.

","

Members can also earn 3% back when using the Sam’s Club Mastercard on eligible in-club or digital purchases and another 2% back from their Plus membership, which adds up to 5% in rewards.

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Keep in mind that there are certain locations that are not eligible for the aforementioned 5% cash back on gas. These include fuel purchases at wholesale clubs that are not Sam’s Club, certain super centers and supermarkets. Furthermore, cardholders of the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® can use their card anywhere that accepts Mastercard, since it acts as a regular credit card too.

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How Else Can I Pay at Sam’s Club?

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Even though Sam’s Club accepts all major credit cards, you may want to pay another way. Sam’s Club also accepts cash, checks, debit cards, SNAP, Sam’s Club gift cards, Walmart gift cards and the Walmart Credit Card. Sam’s Club is part of the Walmart family of stores, which is why it accepts Walmart gift cards and credit cards.

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How Does This Affect Sam’s Club Customers?

","

Shoppers worried about which credit cards Sam’s Club accepts can rest easy, since Sam’s Club accepts all major credit cards! Shoppers are not limited by the card in their wallet, and don’t have to apply for a specific credit card just to be able to shop at Sam’s Club with a credit card. Customers might find themselves frustrated at stores with limited credit card acceptance when they have a favorite rewards credit card they want to use or airline miles to rack up, but the card issuer is not one of the accepted forms of payment. This is not something shoppers will need to experience at Sam’s Club.

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Sam’s Club vs. Costco

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Sam’s Club and Costco are the two biggest warehouse chains in the world, and both are in the top 10-largest retailers in the U.S. Naturally, they are competitors. Back when they were first founded, both stores only accepted Discover cards. Discover has far fewer credit card holders than Visa, Mastercard or American Express. In 1999, Costco signed a deal with American Express, opening its stores to a much larger clientele than Discover provided. Consequently, the gap between Costco and Sam’s Club widened. By 2006, Costco was earning four times as much as Sam’s Club. So Sam’s Club signed a deal in that year to accept Mastercard. At the time, Mastercard was competing with Visa for the top credit card in the US. It had many more cardholders than Discover, and even American Express.

","

In 2015, Costco announced that it was ending its exclusive deal with American Express, and instead signing one with Visa. Within months, Sam’s Club picked up American Express as one of its accepted credit cards, hoping to woo Costco members. Sam’s Club also signed a deal with Visa in early 2016, meaning it officially accepted all four major credit cards as payment.

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Now, customers who favor choice may be more likely to choose Sam’s Club over Costco. While Costco only accepts Visa credit cards, customers can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover at Sam’s Club.

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Bottom Line

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Sam’s Club accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. All of these options make it easy for members to pay with their favorite credit card at check out. Plus, customers can always pay with cash, debit cards, checks, SNAP and Sam’s Club and Walmart gift cards.

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Tips for Managing Your Budget

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Photo credit: ©iStock.com/slobo, ©iStock.com/slobo, ©iStock.com/Yvan DubA

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Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.

Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which SmartAsset.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). SmartAsset.com does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace.

"],"experts":null,"link":"/credit-cards/what-credit-cards-does-sams-club-accept","published":{"datetime":"2017-8-14","readable":"August 14, 2017"},"shareInfo":{"title":"What Credit Cards Does Sam’s Club Accept?","origin":"/credit-cards/what-credit-cards-does-sams-club-accept"},"isNewsArticle":false},{"id":"cG9zdDo2MTgxMQ==","databaseId":61811,"postId":61811,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo1Mw==","databaseId":53,"userId":53,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e108c21a7f5933aad20a2fed390a87d8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Amanda Dixon is a personal finance writer and editor with an expertise in taxes and banking. She studied journalism and sociology at the University of Georgia. Her work has been featured in Business Insider, AOL, Bankrate, The Huffington Post, Fox Business News, Mashable and CBS News. Born and raised in metro Atlanta, Amanda currently lives in Brooklyn.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Amanda","fullName":"Amanda Dixon","lastName":"Dixon","name":"Amanda Dixon","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":184,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"adixon","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":89,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$3a","date":"2017-02-21T10:00:30","excerpt":"

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If you’re like most adults, you probably receive mail from credit card companies regularly. In some cases, you might receive a notice about your latest credit card statement. Or you may get a letter that says you’ve been pre-approved for a card. Wondering whether you’re guaranteed to get a pre-approved credit card? Read on as we explain what pre-approved credit card offers mean.

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See how long it’ll take to pay off your credit card debt.

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How Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers Work

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Getting a pre-approved credit card offer may seem strange. Chances are, you received it without contacting a credit card company directly. But don’t fret. A credit card issuer can pre-approve you for a card based on what it knows about your credit score or financial status.

","

How did a credit card issuer get access to your personal information? It probably bought it. Since the national credit bureaus and other credit agencies have access to credit scores and financial information, credit card issuers can purchase that data and tailor their offers to groups of people.

","

Credit card companies cannot see your actual credit scores or credit history unless you’ve authorized them to look at that information. But card issuers can get lists of consumers who meet certain qualifications (like being within a specific income bracket or credit score range). After buying these lists from credit reporting agencies, card issuers send pre-approved offers to folks who may be interested in a particular credit card.

","

What It Means to Be Pre-Approved for a Credit Card

","

","

Getting a pre-approved credit card offer means you meet some of the basic criteria needed to qualify for a card. It doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed approval for that credit card. It simply means that you may want to apply (if the credit card is a good fit for you).

","

However, your application may be rejected, even if you’re pre-approved for a card. A card issuer must review your credit history and decide whether your income level, credit score and other financial information indicate that you could handle another credit card, before approving you for a card.

","

If a company is hesitant about extending a line of credit to you, it may approve you for a credit card but limit your access to benefits. For example, you may qualify for a card but be ineligible for the high credit limit or the low interest rate mentioned in the offer letter.

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Pre-Screened vs. Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers

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Note that there’s a difference between pre-approved and pre-screened credit card offers.

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Getting a pre-screened offer means that a card issuer essentially did a background check. It looked at your credit history and reviewed other personal details. Banks and credit card companies send out pre-screened offers when they think a card could be ideal for someone who belongs to a certain organization, falls within a certain age or income group or has a certain credit score.

","

You must submit an application to reap the rewards of a pre-screened offer. But your chances of getting approved for a credit card are high (even if you don’t qualify for the same perks in the offer letter). That’s not the case with pre-approved credit card offers.

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Do Pre-Approved Offers Affect Your Credit Score?

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Pre-approved credit card offers have no impact on your credit score. They’re considered soft inquiries. When they pre-approve consumers, credit card issuers don’t view their credit information in order to grant them any credit.

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Applying for a credit card for which you’ve been pre-approved, however, triggers a hard inquiry. Hard inquiries can knock a few points off your credit score.

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What to Do With Your Pre-Approved Credit Card Offer

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When you receive a credit card offer, it’s a good idea to figure out whether it’s a pre-approved or pre-screened offer. If it’s a pre-approved offer, you’ll need to consider whether you have a good chance of getting approved.

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Do some research ahead of time if you’re interested in applying for a card. That way, you’ll understand the credit card’s general terms. If you don’t want the card advertised in the mailing, it’s best to shred the offer to protect yourself from identity theft.

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Sick of receiving credit card offers? You can opt out by visiting optoutprescreen.com. But you may need to take additional steps if a company purchased lists from a private or public source (instead of one of the national credit bureaus).

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Final Word

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Pre-approved credit card offers invite you to consider applying for a particular credit card. Those offers are not guaranteed. In fact, since a credit card issuer doesn’t know much about you, your odds of approval could be low.

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Photo credit: ©iStock.com/andresr, ©iStock.com/SIphotography, ©iStock.com/oatawa

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Identity theft is a major problem in the U.S. Over 15 million people were victims of identity theft in 2016, a 15% increase from the year before. While everyone is at risk of having their identity stolen, some people are at increased risk. This is especially true when you look at state data. Some states have more elderly residents, one of the most targeted groups for identity theft, or have wealthier households, another prime candidate for attempted identity theft.

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Check out the best rewards credit cards.

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In order to find the states most vulnerable to identity theft, SmartAsset looked at data on identity fraud complaints, identity theft complaints, percent of the population under the age of 10 or over 65, average number of open credit cards per resident and the percent of households with an income over $74,999. To see where we got our data and how we put it together, check the data and methodology section below.

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Key Findings

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Retirement states – The two most popular retirement states in the country, Arizona and Florida, are also some of the most vulnerable to identity theft. Florida ranked first overall and Arizona ranked eighth.
Identity theft doesn’t discriminate – Whether you’re old or young, rich or poor, identity theft can happen to anyone. But that doesn’t mean becoming a hermit is your only way to protect yourself, there are ways to stay safe while leading an active financial life. Monitoring your credit report is a great start to catch identity fraud before it becomes a problem.

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1. Florida

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Florida ranks as the nation’s most identity theft prone state, according to our data. The Sunshine State ranked first in in identity fraud complaint rate and third in identity theft complaint rate, which suggest the state may be heavily targeted by identity thieves.

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What may make Florida a juicy target is the large number of children and senior citizens in the state. Florida leads the nation in percent of residents who are under the age of 10 or over 65. Close to 30% of Florida’s population falls into these categories. Research shows these are among the most vulnerable citizens.

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2. Maryland

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Maryland is another state which appears to have a target on its back. Residents of the Old Line State complained about both identity fraud and identity theft to the FTC at top 10 rates. While Maryland does not have a large number of residents who fit the age profile of those most vulnerable to identity theft – only 25% of Marylanders are under 10 or over 65 – it does have a large proportion of high earners.

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For people looking to steal credit card information, it’s safe to assume they want the credit card information of a wealthy person. Maryland has the highest percentage of households in the country who make over $74,999 per year, making them a potential target.

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3. Delaware

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With 807 identity fraud complaints per 100,000 residents, Delaware had one of the highest identity fraud complaint rates in the country. Delaware has the third-highest percent of residents inside the at-risk age brackets in the top 10. Just under 28% of Delaware residents are under 10 or over 65.

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The state also has a high number of average credit cards per resident. While having many open credit cards is not necessarily a bad thing on its own – having multiple credit cards may allow one to optimize rewards, for example – it could increase the chance of having your identity stolen.

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4. New Jersey

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New Jersey residents have two things which may make them likely targets for identity theft. First, they have a relatively wealthy population. Just under half of households in New Jersey make more than $74,999 and on average New Jersey residents each have 2.76 open credit cards. For those two metrics, New Jersey ranks second and first, respectively.

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5. Connecticut

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The Constitution State comes in fifth for states most vulnerable to identity theft. This state has the second-highest identity theft complaint rate. Connecticut residents are also more vulnerable because of the average number of credit cards the state’s residents have. Our data shows that, on average, Connecticut residents have 2.56 open credit cards. That’s fourth-highest rate in the nation. Plus, Connecticut residents are some of the wealthiest. Just over 47% of Connecticut households make over $74,999 per year.

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6. Rhode Island

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The smallest state in the union is home to some of the most vulnerable residents to identity theft. Residents of Rhode Island complain to the FTC about identity fraud at a rate of 765 complaints per 100,000 residents and about identity theft at a rate of 141 complaints per 100,000 residents. For both those metrics Rhode Island ranks in the top 10.

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Rhode Islanders have the sixth-highest average number of open credit cards in the country. If you think your identity was stolen through one of your credit cards and are not receiving much support from your financial institution, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) might be able to help. One of the most common financial complaints that it receives is about identity theft linked to credit cards.

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7. California

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Did you know that California has the highest debt-to-income ratio of any state in the country? A large chunk of that debt is held over multiple credit cards. Californians, on average, have 2.48 open credit cards, the ninth-most in the country. If you do have a lot of credit cards, make sure you are carefully checking all your monthly statements to look for any transactions which you did not make.

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8. Arizona

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One of the most popular states for retirees is also one of the most targeted by identity thieves. Data from the FTC shows that Arizona complained about identity fraud at the 14th-highest rate and about identity theft at the 16th-highest rate. Arizona residents are also right in the most vulnerable age range. Census data shows that 28.8% of Arizona residents are under the age of 10 or over the age of 65. Both demographics that identity thieves tend to target.

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Young children are vulnerable because they have no way of protecting themselves and if they do have their identity stolen, they often do not find out for many years. By then the damage is already done. One way to help protect your child’s identity is to set up a credit file for them and check it regularly.

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9. New Hampshire

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New Hampshire residents have some of the highest proportion of high income earning households in the country. Our data shows that 44.5% of New Hampshire households earn over $74,999. Residents of the Granite State also tend to have a lot of plastic. The average New Hampshire residents has 2.5 open credit cards.

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10. Texas

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Texas closes out our top 10. Texans complained to the FTC about identity theft and identity fraud at top 10 rates. Many households in Texas are relatively wealthy, which may make them bigger targets of identity thieves. Over 35% of households in Texas earn more than $74,999.

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Data and Methodology

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In order to find the states most vulnerable to identity theft, we looked at data on all 50 states. Specifically we looked at data on the following five factors:

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We ranked each state across each of the five metrics, giving equal weight to each metric. Then we found the average ranking for each state. Last, we used this average ranking to create our final score. The state with the best average ranking received a score of 100. While the state with the worst average ranking received a score of 0.

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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com.

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