FTC complaints set record in 2012

The Federal Trade Commission said it handled more than 2 million complaints in 2012, setting a record, with 18 percent of those involving identity theft. In an annual report detailing complaints it received, including breakdowns for different states and for the 50 most complaint-generating cities, the FTC said it dealt with 369,132 complaints involving identity theft in 2012. The second most common complaint category was debt collection, which was the subject of 10 percent of the complaints the agency handled last year. In descending order, complaints also focused on banks and lenders, 6 percent; shop-at-home and catalog sales, 6 percent; prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries, 5 percent; impostor scams, 4 percent; Internet services, 4 percent; auto-related complaints, 4 percent; telephone and mobile services, 4 percent, and credit cards, 3 percent.