Identity theft headed the top ten US consumer fraud complaints of 2001, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Identity theft accounted for 42% of the 204,000 complaints entered into the FTC's database last year.
The full list is as follows:
- Identity theft (42%)
- Internet auctions (10%)
- Internet services and computer complaints (7%)
- Shop-at-home and catalogue offers (6%)
- Advance fee loans and credit protection (5%)
- Prizes/sweepstakes/gifts (4%)
- Business opportunities and work at home plans (4%)
- Foreign money offers (4%)
- Magazines and buyers' clubs (3%)
- Telephone pay-per-call/ information services (2%)
The FTC operates an identity-theft hotline which receives around 1,700 calls each week, mostly in connection with theft of credit card information. A study last year suggested that internet auctions posed a bigger risk of fraud.