Identity theft topped the list of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission in 2004, accounting for 39% of the 635,173 consumer fraud complaints filed with the agency last year.
The other top complaint categories of consumer fraud for 2004 included:
* Internet auctions – 16%
* Shop-at-home/catalog sales – 8%
* Internet services and computer complaints – 6%
* Foreign money offers – 6%
* Prizes/sweepstakes and lotteries – 5%
* Advance-fee loans and credit protection – 3%
* Business opportunities and work-at-home – 2%
* Telephone services – 2%
* Other (miscellaneous) – 12%
In addition, the major metropolitan areas with the highest per-capita rates of complaints concerning consumer fraud were Washington, DC; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA; and Las Vegas-Paradise, NV.
Credit card fraud was the most common form of reported identity theft, followed by phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per-capita rates of reported identity theft were Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Las Vegas-Paradise, NV.
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