FTC Releases Top Complaint Categories for 2011

The Federal Trade Commission has released its list of top consumer complaints received by the agency in 2011. For the 12th year in a row, identity theft complaints topped the list. Of more than 1.8 million complaints filed in 2011, 279,156 or 15 percent, were identity theft complaints. Nearly 25 percent of the identity theft complaints related to tax- or wage-related fraud.
The next nine complaint categories are:

 NumberPercent

Debt Collection Complaints

180,928

10 percent

Prizes, Sweepstakes, and Lotteries

100,208

6 percent

Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales

98,306

5 percent

Banks and Lenders

89,341

5 percent

Internet Services

81,805

5 percent

Auto Related Complaints

77,435

4 percent

Imposter Scams

73,281

4 percent

Telephone and Mobile Services

70,024

4 percent

Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair

47,414

3 percent

TAKE AWAY:  Marketers who offer goods and services in the top categories should be sure to review their marketing and compliance processes as such categories may be subject to increased government scrutiny.

Add a comment

Type the following characters: three, foxtrot, mike, six

* Indicates a required field.

Subscribe

Recent Posts

Contributors

Archives

Jump to Page

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.