Kentucky ranks 33rd overall in WalletHub’s latest research of states most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.
Kentucky is firmly in the bottom half of the nation according to the ranking, which reflects a profile that is considerably worse than much of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic but less terrible than the hardest-hit states.
Three components to make up Kentucky’s ranking
WalletHub assessed each state across 15 metrics, from complaint rates to dollar losses to consumer-protection laws. Kentucky’s placement stems from three main components:
Identity Theft Rank: 22nd
When it comes to identity theft complaints, Kentucky is in the middle of the pack. That suggests residents experience fewer identity-theft incidents than many states with heavy urbanization or large retiree populations. But its placement isn’t strong enough to counterbalance weaknesses elsewhere.
Fraud Rank: 47th
This is where Kentucky’s standing collapses. Only four states fare worse in the fraud category. The ranking reflects high volumes of fraud complaints, significant losses per incident or both. A 47th-place finish indicates Kentucky residents are disproportionately targeted or disproportionately harmed when fraud occurs.
Policy Rank: 19th
Kentucky performs better when it comes to laws and protections affecting identity theft and fraud victims. The Commonwealth has more protections in place than many others, including some cybersecurity regulations and consumer-support initiatives, according to its 19th-place policy score. Even yet, the protections aren’t powerful enough to lift the state out of the lower third overall.
How Kentucky’s fraud risk and identity theft ranking compares to other states
Kentucky lands between Virginia (32nd) and Nebraska (34th) in the overall ranking, but its profile differs sharply from many neighbors. Indiana (28th), Tennessee (26th), and even Ohio (46th) show different mixes of strengths and vulnerabilities.
The most striking contrast is fraud exposure: a 47th-place fraud ranking suggests Kentuckians face unusually steep financial consequences or high complaint levels relative to population. That metric alone weighs heavily on the state’s overall position.
“In an age where we have sensitive data online in a multitude of places, we risk falling victim to identity theft and fraud whenever there’s a data breach,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.
This article appears in Dec. 1-31, 2025.