Identity Theft Once Again Tops List of FTC Complaints

The Federal Trade Commission released its list of top consumer complaints received by the agency in 2011. For the 12th year in a row, identity theft complaints topped the list.

Of more than 1.8 million complaints filed in 2011, 279,156 or 15 percent, were identity theft complaints. Nearly 25 percent of the identity theft complaints related to tax- or wage-related fraud. The report breaks out complaint data on a state-by-state basis and also contains data about the 50 metropolitan areas reporting the highest per capita incidence of fraud and other complaints. In addition, the 50 metropolitan areas reporting the highest incidence of identity theft are noted.

The next nine complaint categories are: Debt Collection Complaints; Prizes, Sweepstakes, and Lotteries; Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales; Banks and Lenders; Internet Services; Auto Related Complaints; Imposter Scams; Telephone and Mobile Services; and Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair.