Bankrate, Inc. (NASDAQ:RATE) today released the findings of a national poll which found that 8 out of 10 Americans are concerned about their identity being stolen. Furthermore, over one-third (34%) of Americans know someone who has been a victim of identity theft. The poll is included in this month's segment of Bankrate's Financial Literacy Series: Protect your identity at bankrate.com.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were approximately 800,000 consumer complaints filed in 2007. Of those complaints, 32 percent involved identity theft. The total dollar amount in reported fraud losses was over $1.2 billion.

"Identity theft is a growing concern among Americans, but there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves," said Julie Bandy, editor in chief at Bankrate.com. "Bankrate's guide prepares consumers with the advice they need to keep their assets safe and protect their identity," Bandy added.

  Other key findings of the poll include:

  * Of the 77 percent of respondents that have Internet service, 36 percent
    avoid Internet shopping.
  * Eight out of 10 Americans express worry about having their identity
    stolen.
  * One-third of Americans (34 percent) know someone who has been a victim
    of identity theft. In the Northeast, it's closer to one in four (28
    percent) while in the West almost one in two people (44 percent) know an
    ID theft victim.
  * Respondents who reported themselves as concerned about identity theft
    were more likely to shred documents, (82%), versus those who are not
    concerned (52%). Notably, people who are uneasy about identity theft
    were much more likely to keep tabs on their credit reports. Fifty-three
    percent of concerned folks do it versus 30 percent of the unconcerned
    variety.
  * Women (83 percent) were significantly more likely to destroy sensitive
    information than men (69 percent).
  * Only two out of 10 Americans (19 percent) have used the new credit
    freeze services to protect their credit.
  * The Internet tops the list of ID theft anxiety-instigators, with 45
    percent of people fearing online fraud the most, while 25 percent rank
    leaks from businesses as their primary concern.
  * Out of those who answered the survey, 77 percent have Internet access.
    Of those with Internet, 36 percent say they try to protect themselves
    from fraud by not shopping on the Internet. Nearly half, 48 percent,
    avoid online banking.

The national random-digit-dialed phone study of 1,006 adults 18 or older was conducted for Bankrate by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. The surveys were conducted from April 4, 2008 through April 6, 2008. The sample was weighted by demographic factors including age, gender, race, education and census region to ensure reliable and accurate representation of adults in U.S. households. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points.