Answer: It's a tie, Online and in-store channels were hit equally. 

Questions:

• Did the results surprise you? Explain.
• What are ways that online shoppers can have their identity stolen? Do you know anyone who has been a victim?
• Name at least three ways that you can protect yourself from identity theft. 

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (from PaymentsSource):

Mobile and e-commerce sales are surging, but brick-and-mortar stores still account for the vast majority of sales. Yet consumer data indicates consumers are equally at risk for identity theft when shopping online or in stores. 

Eight percent of U.S. consumers said they have been victimized by identity theft in the past during the holidays, according to a recent survey Experian conducted. Among those victims, the incidents happened both when they were shopping online and in stores. More than a quarter, or 27 percent of respondents said their identity was stolen when shopping online during the holidays, and the same amount, 27 percent, said they were victimized using a credit card at a retail store, Experian said. 

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Check out this recent FinCap Friday for more on this phenomenon of holiday scammin'. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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