The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released the top consumer complaints that it received over the course of 2015. These complaints were received and categorized by the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, and it really is no surprise what made the top of the list this year. Debt collection, identity theft and imposter scams all ranked as the top complaint categories by consumers in 2015.
Debt collection complaints rose to the top spot among complaint categories, and the report noted that this was due in large part to a surge in complaints contributed by a data contributor who collects complaints via a mobile app. This change caused a spike in complaints related to unwanted debt collection mobile phone calls.
Identity theft complaints took the second spot, increasing more than 47% from 2014 on the back of a massive jump in complaints about tax identity theft from consumers. Identity theft complaints had been the top category for the previous 15 years.
Imposter scams, in which scammers impersonate someone else to commit fraud, remained the third-most common complaint in 2015.
Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, commented:
We recognize that identity theft and unlawful debt collection practices continue to cause significant harm to many consumers. Steps like the recent upgrade to IdentityTheft.gov and our leadership of a nationwide initiative to combat unlawful debt collection practices are critical to our ongoing work to protect consumers from these harms.
The top 10 complaint categories were listed as:
- Debt collection had 29% of complaints.
- Identity theft had 16% of complaints.
- Imposter scams had 11% of complaints.
- Telephone and mobile services had 9% of complaints.
- Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries had 5% of complaints.
- Banks and lenders had 4% of complaints.
- Shop-at-home and catalog sales had 3% of complaints.
- Auto-related complaints had 3% of complaints.
- Television and electronic media had 2% of complaints.
- Credit bureaus, information furnishers and report users had 1% of complaints.
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