(CNBC) An estimated 13.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft-related fraud last year. That's up more than 500,000 people from 2012. According to a just-released Identity Fraud Study by Javelin Strategy & Research, someone in this country becomes a victim every two seconds.
And note, this survey of 5,600 consumers across the country was done in October, before the massive Target breach.
"This data clearly exposes just how ineffective current security practices have become," said Alphonse Pascual, a senior analyst at Javelin who co-authored the study. "The businesses we trust with our personal information have become easy targets."