Consumer Fraud Complaints by Category, 2008

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Learn the top 20 consumer fraud complaints as of 2008. Identity theft tops the list, with 26% of all fraud compaints, filed by 1,223,370 people that year. Protect yourself from identity theft by reading our guides, Catching the Facts on Identity Theft and Stolen Identity: A Consumer Nightmare. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, or any other fraudulant action, visit the consumer protection division of the Federal Trade Commission.

  Number of

complaints
Percent

of total
Identity theft 313,982 26
Third party and creditor debt collection 104,642 9
Shop-at-home and catalog sales 52,615 4
Internet services 52,102 4
Foreign money offers and counterfeit check scams 38,505 3
Credit bureaus, information furnishers and report users 34,940 3
Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries 33,340 3
Television and electronic media 25,930 2
Banks and lenders 22,890 2
Telecom equipment and mobile services 22,387 2
Computer equipment and software 21,442 2
Business opportunities, employment agencies and work-at-home 20,286 2
Internet auction 17,294 1
Advance-fee loans and credit protection/repair 17,263 1
Health care 16,275 1
Auto related complaints 14,278 1
Travel, vacations and timeshare plans 13,200 1
Credit cards 13,196 1
Magazines and buyers clubs 10,188 1
Telephone services 9,300 1
Source: Federal Trade Commission. Data from Consumer Sentinel.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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