IDENTITY THEFT AND FRAUD COMPLAINTS
As businesses increasingly depend on electronic data and computer networks to conduct their daily operations, growing pools of personal and financial information are being transferred and stored online. This can leave individuals exposed to privacy violations and financial institutions and other businesses exposed to potentially enormous liability, if and when a breach in data security occurs.
The Consumer Sentinel database, maintained by the Federal Trade Commission, contains over 3.5 million consumer fraud and identity theft complaints that have been filed with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and private organizations.
IDENTITY THEFT AND FRAUD COMPLAINTS, 2009-2011 (1)
- Percentages are based on the total number of Consumer Sentinel Network complaints by calendar year. These figures exclude “Do Not Call” registry complaints.
Source: Federal Trade Commission.
HOW VICTIMS’ INFORMATION IS MISUSED, 2011 (1)
| Type of identity theft fraud | Percent |
|---|---|
| Government documents or benefits fraud | 27% |
| Credit card fraud | 14 |
| Phone or utilities fraud | 13 |
| Bank fraud (2) | 9 |
| Employment-related fraud | 8 |
| Attempted identity theft | 7 |
| Loan fraud | 3 |
| Other identity theft | 23 |
- Percentages are based on the total number of complaints in the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network (279,156 in 2011). Percentages total to more than 100 because some victims reported experiencing more than one type of identity theft (13% in 2011).
- Includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic fund transfers.
Source: Federal Trade Commission.
IDENTITY THEFT BY STATE, 2011
| State | Complaints per 100,000 population (1) | Number of complaints | Rank (2) | State | Complaints per 100,000 population (1) | Number of complaints | Rank (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 82.5 | 3,942 | 12 | Montana | 39.4 | 390 | 47 |
| Alaska | 44.5 | 316 | 40 | Nebraska | 47.6 | 869 | 38 |
| Arizona | 98.5 | 6,296 | 4 | Nevada | 89.9 | 2,427 | 7 |
| Arkansas | 63.9 | 1,862 | 28 | New Hampshire | 46.9 | 617 | 39 |
| California | 103.6 | 38,607 | 3 | New Jersey | 86.4 | 7,599 | 8 |
| Colorado | 82.6 | 4,156 | 11 | New Mexico | 78.2 | 1,610 | 16 |
| Connecticut | 67.5 | 2,413 | 22 | New York | 92.3 | 17,880 | 6 |
| Delaware | 83.5 | 750 | 10 | North Carolina | 65.9 | 6,287 | 25 |
| Florida | 178.7 | 33,595 | 1 | North Dakota | 23.2 | 156 | 50 |
| Georgia | 120.0 | 11,625 | 2 | Ohio | 64.8 | 7,479 | 26 |
| Hawaii | 42.9 | 583 | 42 | Oklahoma | 56.4 | 2,115 | 32 |
| Idaho | 42.0 | 658 | 43 | Oregon | 58.1 | 2,226 | 31 |
| Illinois | 80.8 | 10,361 | 14 | Pennsylvania | 79.2 | 10,061 | 15 |
| Indiana | 54.8 | 3,555 | 33 | Rhode Island | 58.3 | 614 | 30 |
| Iowa | 39.7 | 1,208 | 45 | South Carolina | 68.5 | 3,168 | 20 |
| Kansas | 67.1 | 1,914 | 24 | South Dakota | 25.3 | 206 | 49 |
| Kentucky | 43.6 | 1,891 | 41 | Tennessee | 67.4 | 4,275 | 23 |
| Louisiana | 64.7 | 2,934 | 27 | Texas | 96.1 | 24,162 | 5 |
| Maine | 37.9 | 503 | 48 | Utah | 54.8 | 1,514 | 34 |
| Maryland | 86.3 | 4,980 | 9 | Vermont | 41.4 | 259 | 44 |
| Massachusetts | 63.0 | 4,128 | 29 | Virginia | 67.7 | 5,416 | 21 |
| Michigan | 82.1 | 8,119 | 13 | Washington | 72.2 | 4,853 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 50.4 | 2,671 | 35 | West Virginia | 39.4 | 731 | 46 |
| Mississippi | 74.5 | 2,210 | 17 | Wisconsin | 48.9 | 2,782 | 37 |
| Missouri | 71.5 | 4,282 | 19 | Wyoming | 49.7 | 280 | 36 |
- Population figues are based on the 2010 U.S. Census population estimates.
- Ranked per complaints per 100,000 population. The District of Columbia had 166.0 complaints per 100,000 population and 999 victims.
Source: Federal Trade Commission.
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CYBER SECURITY
As businesses increasingly depend on electronic data and computer networks to conduct their daily operations, growing pools of personal and financial information are being transferred and stored online. This can leave individuals exposed to privacy violations and financial institutions and other businesses exposed to potentially enormous liability, if and when a breach in data security occurs.
In 2000 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance joined together to create the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to monitor Internet-related criminal complaints. In 2011, IC3 logged 314,246 complaints via its website, or about 26,000 complaints per month. In 2007, the IC3 received 206,884 complaints. The IC3 referred 116,830 of the complaints to federal, state or local law enforcement officials compared with 90,008 in 2007.
CYBER CRIME COMPLAINTS, 2007-2011 (1)
- Based on complaints submitted to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Source: Internet Crime Complaint Center.
TOP FIVE CYBER CRIME TYPES, 2011 (1)
| Rank | Type | Number of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FBI-related scams (2) | 35,764 |
| 2 | Identity theft | 28,915 |
| 3 | Advance fee fraud | 27,892 |
| 4 | Non-auction/non-delivery of merchandise | 22,404 |
| 5 | Overpayment fraud | 18,511 |
- Based on crimes referred by the Internet Crime Complaint Center to federal, state or local law enforcement agencies.
- cams in which a criminal poses as an FBI agent.
Source: Internet Crime Complaint Center.
TOP TEN STATES FOR CYBER CRIME, 2011 (1)
| Rank | State | Complaints per 100,000 population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 196 |
| 2 | D.C. | 137 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 131 |
| 4 | Nevada | 130 |
| 5 | Colorado | 123 |
| 6 | Ohio | 110 |
| 7 | Maryland | 109 |
| 8 | Florida | 107 |
| 9 | Virginia | 106 |
| 10 | Washington | 104 |
- Based on complaints submitted to the Internet Crime Complaint Center via its website.
Source: Internet Crime Complaint Center.