Credit Card Fraud in Billings Up 51% in 2022. What Can You Do?

Shootings, stabbings, and robberies frequently make headlines in Billings, but another type of crime is also on the rise in The Magic City and it typically doesn't make the news. According to data compiled by Upgrade Points, credit card fraud in Billings climbed 51% from 2021 to 2022. While these largely digital crimes aren't physical, they can still be quite painful for those who are victims of credit card fraud.

Unpacking the data.

To determine the locations with the highest rates of credit card fraud, researchers at Upgraded Points analyzed the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked locations by their per capita rates of credit card fraud reports in 2022. Here's what they found regarding Billings:

• Credit card fraud reports per 10K residents (2022): 4.1
• Total number of credit card fraud reports (2022): 77
• Year-over-year change in credit card fraud reports: +51.0%
• 3-year change in credit card fraud reports (2019-2022): +45.3%

States with significantly higher rates of credit card fraud include Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Nevada. The authors of the report note that the two most common types of credit card fraud are account takeover and application fraud, which have seen a tenfold increase in the last 20 years.

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Not the Boomers getting ripped off.

Interestingly, the age demo that reports the most cases of reported credit card fraud comes from those between the ages of 30 and 39 and tapers off significantly the older you get. Researchers believe it's because younger people generally share much more personal information online, allowing thieves easier opportunities to take out credit cards in your name.

What can you do about it?

If you have a credit card stolen you can instantly report the theft to your card company and usually get any charges refunded. Catching someone applying for a card in your name or attempting an account takeover is a little trickier. I'd recommend getting a free Credit Karma account, where any changes to your credit history usually pop up fairly quickly. There are a number of identity protection services available. Here are ten to review.