Identity Theft No. 1 Complaint for 2006: FTC
For the seventh year in a row, identity theft was the No. 1 consumer fraud complaint in 2006, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday.
Thirty six percent of the 674,354 complaints the FTC received last year were related to identity theft, the commission reported.
Credit card fraud was the most common form of identity theft, accounting for 25% of those types of complaints. Telephone and utilities fraud, and bank fraud were tied for No. 2, each accounting for 16% of identity theft complaints, the FTC reported.
The metropolitan areas with the highest rates of identity theft complaints in 2006 were Napa, CA, Madera, CA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission , TX, the FTC reported.
Two categories tied at No. 2 overall were catalogs and shop-at-homes sales, and prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries. Each accounted for 7% of consumer fraud complaints in 2006, according to the FTC.
