Are you really you? It’s hard to say.
That’s because identity theft was the top consumer complaint for 2009, the Federal Trade Commission reported Wednesday.
It was also the top complaint from the year before, although 5 percent fewer consumers reported it in 2009, the commission said.
Overall, of the 1.3 million complaints the agency received last year, 21 percent were for identity theft. Debt collection agencies ranked second, with 9 percent of complaints, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book released Wednesday.
Credit card fraud was the top complaint when it comes to identity theft, followed by fraud related to government benefits, utilities, phones and loans.
The FTC did not verify the complaints lodged with it. It said 72 percent of those reporting identity theft also notified a police department.
The complete 101-page report (.pdf) is available here.
By David Kravets
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