Additional Support for Vulnerable Populations
Your identity can be abused in many different ways, and the damage can be lasting and significant. However, there are simple steps you can take to protect your identity from theft and misuse. Vulnerable populations can get the additional support they need.
Who is at Risk & Why?
Identity crime isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each group faces unique risks, from data exposure to coercion. Closing gaps in protection requires education, practical tools, and trusted community members. Criminals prey on people who may lack digital literacy, face systemic instability, or rely on others for support. Key affected groups include:
- Older Adults who may be less familiar with new technology and more vulnerable to phone or tech-support scams.
- Youth in Foster Care who often have multiple caregivers, increasing personal information exposure.
- Immigrants & Refugees who may face language barriers and unfamiliarity with U.S. systems.
- Individuals with Disabilities who may be at higher risk when they rely on others to manage their documents or finances.
- Survivors of Domestic Violence / Human Trafficking whose abusers may misuse their personal information for personal gain or as a form of control.
What Works: Prevention & Protection Strategies for Allies
Community Partnerships & Outreach
- Partner with local service providers, shelter, libraries, or DV centers to distribute identity protection tools and resources.
- Use trusted messengers, advocates, caseworkers, and cultural leaders to build trust and engagement.
Education and Training
- Include identity safety in life skills education, such as managing personal info and spotting scams.
System and Policy Safeguards
- Train caregivers and agencies on secure data practices and identity protection protocols.
Identity Protection Tools
Help victims create recovery plans that include:
- Credit freezes
- Account monitoring
- Complex passwords and multifactor authentication
How Identity Thieves Exploit Vulnerabilities
- Scattered personal data: Records and files are often spread across many systems, making information harder to track and protect.
- Trust-based risks: Individuals in trusted roles can exploit their position to access and misuse personal information.
- Lack of familiarity with systems, laws or common practices can make it more difficult to recognize scams.
- Resource Targeting: Older adults are often targeted by phone calls, texts, or emails that say they owe money.
- Youth and younger adults are more likely to fall for investment or job scams found on social media.
Older adults (60 +) filed 35 percent of fraud reports, including age info, in 2023.
As of 2021, over half of foster children who should have received credit checks did not.
Foster Youth
Youth in foster care have no need for access to their identity documents that are generally maintained by a child welfare agency. However, family members often have access to this information, too, and may use it to open accounts in a youth’s name. As foster youth open bank accounts and obtain identity documents, their home environment may leave them susceptible to identity theft – by a biological family member or someone within the foster home. Foster youth who have aged out of the foster system or are no longer living in foster care or with a biological family member may continue to have new accounts opened in their name from an earlier time when their identity information was compromised.
Trafficking Survivors
Trafficking survivors are often asked to surrender – by force in some cases – any identity documentation they have. They may also be asked to obtain new forms of identity documents that are then controlled by their trafficker. Victims may have accounts that are taken over by their trafficker, or new accounts may be opened in the victims’ names for use by the trafficker. Survivors who are no longer being trafficked may continue to have new accounts opened in their name because of the earlier compromise of their personal information.
Domestic Violence Survivors
Victims of intimate partner abuse often do not manage or maintain their identity documentation – they are controlled by their abuser. Domestic violence victims’ accounts are often taken–over by their abuser, or new accounts may be opened in the victims’ names for use by the abuser. Survivors who are no longer living with their abuser may continue to have new accounts opened in their name or have difficulty closing accounts that have been accessed by their abuser.
