Many people fear brutal crimes like kidnapping and murder— just spend an afternoon watching the Investigation Discovery channel to learn how crazy people some are. But scenes from the Purge have nothing on the threat of cyber crimes. According to a new Gallup poll, American fear hacking more than any other crime.
Photo leaks and cyber bullying from trolls are the least of America's problems when it comes to Internet crimes. According to a Gallup poll published Monday, Americans fear having their credit card information stolen by hackers the most.
For its annual crime poll, Gallup surveyed over 1,000 Americans across the U.S over the age of 18.
The survey found that 69 percent of Americans worry "frequently" or "occasionally" about computer hackers stealing their credit card information from stores. 27 percent of Americans reported they or a family member had their credit card information stolen by a store.
People who make $75,000 or more a year were more likely to worry about hackers getting access to their credit card information then those who make less. Those with high salaries often spend more and have high spending limits on their credit cards, making them ideal targets.
Americans were also found to worry about having their personal information stolen online, making phone or computer hacking the second most-feared crime. 62 percent of Americans were found to worry "occasionally" about this crime.
The poll shows that many people may steer clear from holiday shopping at retail stores like Target, Neiman Marcus or Home Depot, which could affect the economy. Gallup also says that debit and credit cards may be used less in the future because of the crimes.
It's no surprise that the online security breach of Target and other major retailers left consumers scared about hacking. Target was a major target from hackers, becoming the second-largest hack in history when they stole information from 40 million debit and credit cards.
Check out the top crimes that worry Americans below.
