Between January and December 2004, Consumer Sentinel, the
complaint database developed and maintained by the FTC,
received over 635,000 consumer fraud and identity theft
complaints. Consumers reported losses from fraud of more
than $547 million. The reports in this booklet analyze those
complaints.
Consumer Sentinel collects information about consumer fraud
and identity theft from the FTC and over 150 other
organizations and makes it available to law enforcement
partners across the nation and throughout the world for use in
their investigations. Launched in 1997, the Sentinel database
now includes over two million complaints. Some data
transfers from other organizations contain complaints from
previous months and have not yet been received.
Accordingly, the total number of complaints reflected in this
report may increase over the course of the next few months.
The addition of complaints from other data contributors is also
reflected in the larger totals from previous years than were
reported in earlier FTC reports.
For more information about Consumer Sentinel, as well
as information about consumer fraud and identity theft,
visit the Consumer Sentinel public website at
www.consumer.gov/sentinel.
Fraud
A total of 388,603 of the Consumer Sentinel complaints were fraud-related. Internet Auctions
was the leading complaint category with 16% of the overall complaints, followed by 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 Plans (2%), and Telephone Services (2%).
Consumers reported fraud losses of over $547 million; the median monetary loss was $259.
Internet-related complaints accounted for 53% of all reported fraud complaints, with monetary
losses of over $265 million and a median loss of $214.
Some 57% of fraud complaints where the company's method of initial contact was reported
indicate internet solicitations - electronic mail 35% and web 22%. 80% of all fraud complaints
reported the method of initial contact. This is consistent with last year’s report.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of consumer fraud reported are the
Washington DC area; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA; and Las Vegas-Paradise, NV.
Credit card fraud (28%) was the most common form of reported identity theft followed by phone
or utilities fraud (19%), bank fraud (18%), and employment fraud (13%). Other significant
categories of identity theft reported by victims were government documents/benefits fraud and
loan fraud.
The percentage of complaints about “Electronic Fund Transfer” related identity theft more than
doubled between 2002 and 2004.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported identity theft are
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA; and Las Vegas-Paradise, NV.
