More than half of internet households have experienced fraud or identity theft. Of these, 3 in 10 say that stolen information was used for unauthorized purchases online or by phone. And 2 in 10 say that someone used their lost or stolen credit card to make purchases.

These statistics are cited in "Evaluating Security and Privacy Issues for Financial Services," a new survey and report by Synergistics Research, a marketing research firm serving the financial services industry.

According to the company, its latest survey results represent "a significant increase" over levels of identity theft and fraud seen in 2014 and 2006.

"Our data confirms that ID theft and fraud is on the rise and consumers are justifiably concerned," said Synergistics COO Genie M. Driskill. "Incidence of fraud has increased an astounding 71 percent since 2006. … Organizations that address these issues will have a competitive advantage while those who neglect them will suffer the consequences."