One in ten Australians have fallen prey to online identity theft, losing an average of USD 1,000 to criminals and fraudsters within the past twelve months, a recent survey has unveiled.

According to data provided by the VeriSign Online Fraud Barometer and compiled by Galaxy Research, financial loss caused by online ID fraud has cumulated USD 1,286 billion over the past twelve months of 2010, with USD 200 million yet to be recovered by individuals who have experienced an online ID criminal attack.

Most identity thefts can be ascribed to fraudulent emails and websites (60 percent), the same research has revealed. Nevertheless, complacency remains one of the main causes for online ID fraud since 69 percent of the respondents aged between 18 and 24 have not taken enhanced security measures when providing sensitive information such as banking and credit card details.

In the attempt to fight against online ID fraud, greater responsibility should be assumed by financial institutions and online organizations. The latter should offer increased visibility of enhanced security measures, the report points out.