Identity
theft continues to top the Federal Trade Commission’s national ranking
of consumer complaints, and American consumers reported losing over $1.6
billion to fraud overall in 2013, according to the FTC’s annual report
on consumer complaints released today.
“Americans of all ages are vulnerable to identity theft, and it
remains the most common consumer complaint to the Commission,” said
Jessica Rich, director, Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We urge
consumers to visit
FTC.gov/idtheft for tips to prevent and mitigate the damage from identity theft.”
The Commission received more than two million complaints overall, as reported in the agency’s
Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2013,
of which 290,056, or 14 percent, were identity theft related. Thirty
percent of these incidents were tax- or wage-related, which continues to
be the largest category within identity theft complaints.
The highest reported age group for identity theft is 20-29, with 20
percent of complaints. Rich says that educating consumers on this topic
is a top priority for the agency. Some of the FTC resources include
Signs of Identity Theft,
Immediate Steps to Repair Identity Theft, and
How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure.
Of the more than 1.1 million fraud complaints (classified separately
from identity theft) the Commission received, 61 percent of consumers
reported an amount of money they had paid, which collectively added up
to more than $1.6 billion.
The top 10 complaint categories include:
Category
|
Number of Complaints
|
Percentages
|
Identity Theft
|
290,056
|
14%
|
Debt Collection
|
204,644
|
10%
|
Banks and Lenders
|
152,707
|
7%
|
Imposter Scams
|
121,720
|
6%
|
Telephone and Mobile Services
|
116,261
|
6%
|
Prizes, Sweepstakes, and Lotteries
|
89,944
|
4%
|
Auto Related Complaints
|
82,701
|
4%
|
Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales
|
66,024
|
3%
|
Television and Electronic Media
|
53,087
|
3%
|
Advance Payment for Credit Services
|
50,422
|
2%
|
The report details national data, as well as a
state-by-state accounting of top complaint categories and a listing of
the metropolitan areas that generated the most complaints. This includes
the top 50 metropolitan areas for both fraud complaints and identity
theft complaints. Florida is the state with the highest per capita rate
of reported identity theft and fraud complaints, followed by Georgia and
California for identity theft complaints, and Nevada and Georgia for
fraud and other complaints.
The FTC enters complaints into the
Consumer Sentinel Network,
a secure online database that is available to more than 2,000 civil and
criminal law enforcement agencies across the country. Agencies use the
data to research cases, identify victims and track possible targets.
The Federal Trade Commission advises anyone who spots a scam, is the
victim of identity theft or other fraud-related issues to file a
complaint online with the agency’s
Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357).
Other
federal and state law enforcement agencies and organizations contribute consumer complaints to the Consumer Sentinel Network. The
FTC provides information to entities interested in becoming a member to have access to data.
