Newest Crime: Identity Theft
Identity theft was the leading consumer fraud complaint last year. Of the 204,000 complaints compiled by the Federal Trade Commission, 42 percent involved identity theft.. The figures come from a government database that collects complaints from more than 50 law enforcement and consumer groups.
Stealing someone?s identity information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers, in order to steal money or commit fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. It?s been estimated that the number of people victimized by identity theft may be as high as 750,000 a year.
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