ID theft scams on the rise
Identity theft fraud is on the increase in the United States, new figures reveal.
Official data from the Federal Trade Commission showed that almost a quarter of a million US consumers complained of being targeted by identity thieves in 2004.
The survey showed that two in five (40 per cent) of the 635,173 reports the FTC had from consumers concerned ID fraud. Around 250,000 consumers complained to the agency about ID theft last year, up from 215,000 in 2003. The results mark the fifth year in a row that identity fraud has topped the complaints table.
Online criminals attempt to obtain personal details from web users, such as financial information or passwords, and use it to steal credit or commit other crimes.
The second biggest source of fraud complaints last year was internet auctions, which contributed 16 per cent of the total number of complaints.
Catalogue and home-shopping frauds were next in line, accounting for eight per cent of total complaints, followed by concerns about internet services and computers (six per cent).
Agency attorney Betsy Broder said: "It's important consumers contact us because that makes it more likely we will identify scams, and one of our partners will investigate, and hopefully prosecute."
The total cost of fraud reported by consumers last year was $546 million (£290 million).
3 February 2005
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