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Statistics

According to PrivacyRights.Org, some data has been released suggesting "a dramatic 16-fold increase in the volume of calls from individuals to Trans Union's Fraud Department during the six-year period from 1992 to 1997."

Executive Summary
Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data
January - December 2005
http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/pubs/Top10Fraud2005.pdf
  • "The FTC received over 685,000 Consumer Sentinel complaints during calendar year 2005 - 63% represented fraud and 37% were identity theft complaints."
  • "Internet-related complaints accounted for 46% of all reported fraud complaints, with monetary losses of over $335 million and a median loss of $345."
  • "Credit card fraud (26%) was the most common form of reported identity theft followed by phone or utilities fraud (18%), bank fraud (17%), and employment fraud (12%). Other significant categories of identity theft reported by victims were government documents/benefits fraud (9%) and loan fraud (5%)."
  • For 2005, 30% of identity theft victims submitted a police report, and the police report was accepted. 9% of victims submitted a report, but it was not accepted. 61% did not even submit a police report.
  • For 2005, 29% of identity theft victims were between the ages of 18-29. 24% were between 30-39. 20% were between 40-49. 22% were 50 and older. 5% were under 18.
  • The Phoenix, AZ and Las Vegas, NV metropolitan areas had the most identity theft complaints per population in 2005.


Identity Theft
Victim Complaint Data
Figures and Trends
January 1- December 31, 2005
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/id_federal.htm


Figure 1. *1 Percentages are based on the total number of Sentinel complaints by calendar year. These figures exclude "Do Not Call" registry complaints.


Figure 4. *1 Percentages are based on the total number of identity theft complaints (255,565). Percentages add to more than 100 because approximately 20% of victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft. All victims reported experiencing at least one type of identity theft.
*2 Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.


Figure 6. *1 Percentages are based on the total number of identity theft complaints where victims reported their age (239,277). 95% of the victims who contacted the Federal Trade Commission directly reported their age.

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