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:

  1. Identity theft (42%)
  2. Internet auctions (10%)
  3. Internet services and computer complaints (7%)
  4. Shop-at-home and catalogue offers (6%)
  5. Advance fee loans and credit protection (5%)
  6. Prizes/sweepstakes/gifts (4%)
  7. Business opportunities and work at home plans (4%)
  8. Foreign money offers (4%)
  9. Magazines and buyers' clubs (3%)
  10. 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.

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