Consumer Fraud Statistics

A total of 555,472 of the Consumer Sentinel complaints were fraud-related.

Shop-at-Home/Catalog Sales was the leading complaint category with 8% of the overall complaints,

• followed by Internet Services (5%),
• Foreign Money Offers (4%),
• Prizes/Sweepstakes and Lotteries (4%),
• Computer Equipment and Software (3%),
• Internet Auctions (3%),
• Health Care (2%),
• Travel, Vacations and Timeshare (2%),
• Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair (2%),
• Investments (2%), and
• Magazines and Buyers Clubs (2%). (Reference)

Consumers reported fraud losses of over $1.2 billion; the median monetary loss was $349. Eighty-nine percent of the consumers reporting fraud also reported an amount paid. (Reference)

The percentage of fraud complaints with wire transfer as the reported payment method continues to increase. Twenty-eight percent of the consumers reported wire transfer as the payment method, an increase of 5 percentage points from calendar year 2006. (Reference)

Some 64% of fraud complaints where the company’s method of initial contact was reported indicate Internet solicitations – electronic mail at 49% and web at 15%. Fifty-three percent of all fraud complaints reported the method of initial contact. (Reference)

The metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported consumer fraud complaints are Albany-Lebanon, Oregon; Greeley, Colorado; and Napa, California. (Reference)