Much attention is paid to the theft of personal information overthe Internet, but the number-one cause for identity theft turns outto be old-fashioned loss of personal effects, according toTravelers.

A study released by the insurer says that in this era of digitalinformation, 73 percent of cases of identity fraud result fromburglary, stolen wallets and pilfered identifications. The study isbased on Travelers claim data.

Travelers says “stolen or misplaced items, such as wallets andpocketbooks, accounted for the most common known causes foridentity fraud.”

In second place was a stolen or compromised license, SocialSecurity card or other form of personal identification.

Burglaries ranked third, followed by cyber breaches, includingInternet scams and old-fashioned forgeries.

Travelers says that because identity thieves “acquire valuablepersonal information in less obvious ways,” such as sorting throughtrash for bank statements and pre-approved credit cardapplications, only 10 percent of survey respondents could identifywho the thief was.

“When everyday essentials, like wallets or drivers licenses, arestolen or go missing, identity fraud often follows,” says JoeReynolds, identity fraud product manager at Travelers. “Creditcards, driver licenses and other sources of personal informationenable criminals to commit a fraud or crime all in your name.”

One piece of advice Reynolds offered is that consumers checktheir financial statements each month to detect any suspiciousactivity and contact their financial institution immediately.

Consumers should also protect themselves by:

• Only carry essential credit cards and keep critical documentsin a safe and secure place.

• Avoid scams by not disclosing personal information if aconsumer receives an unsolicited request.

• Shred old bills and financial statements.

• Store purses and wallets in a safe place.

• Do not print account information on an envelope of outgoingmail.

• Be careful when sharing personal information on socialmedia.

• Check free credit report annually for the national credit reporting agencies.

Travelers offers Identity Fraud Expense Coverage as anendorsement on a homeowners policy for $25 annual for up to $25,000per insured person with no deductible. The policy includes identityfraud resolution services.

The carrier also offers identity fraud expense reimbursementcoverage to financial institutions and commercial entities as anemployee, customer or membership benefit.