Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book Summary (2017)
Core Content Overview
The Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2017 provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer reports related to fraud, identity theft, and other consumer protection issues. The data is collected by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and shared with law enforcement agencies globally. The report highlights trends, categories, and geographic distribution of consumer complaints.
Main Points
Total Reports
- In 2017, the Consumer Sentinel Network received 2.7 million reports, a slight decrease from 2016.
- Of these, 1.1 million were fraud reports, 371,000 were identity theft reports, and 1.2 million were other reports.
Top Categories
- Debt Collection (22.74% of all reports)
- Identity Theft (13.87% of all reports)
- Imposter Scams (13.00% of all reports)
Fraud Statistics
- 21% of fraud reports indicated a monetary loss.
- Total fraud losses in 2017 amounted to $905 million, an increase of $63 million from 2016.
- Median loss for all fraud reports was $429.
- Wire transfers were the most frequently reported payment method for fraud, with $333 million lost.
- Phone calls were the most common contact method for fraud, accounting for 70% of reports with a contact method identified.
Identity Theft
- Credit card fraud was the most reported type of identity theft.
- 133,015 reports were related to credit card fraud.
- 15% of identity theft reports included more than one type of theft.
Age and Loss
- Younger consumers (20-29 years) were more likely to report fraud (40% of reports).
- Consumers aged 70 and older had a lower rate of fraud reporting (18%) but higher median losses when affected.
Military Consumers
- 114,000 reports were filed by military consumers.
- 50,000 of these were fraud reports, including 29,859 imposter scam reports with a total loss of $26 million.
- Identity theft was the largest category among military consumers, with 30,184 reports.
Key Information
Geographic Distribution
- States with the highest per capita fraud reports: Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Delaware, and Michigan.
- States with the highest per capita identity theft reports: Michigan, Florida, California, Maryland, and Nevada.
- Top 50 Metropolitan Areas for fraud and identity theft are listed in the report, with specific data for different regions (East Central, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Western).
Data Sources
- Reports come from various sources, including the FTC, other law enforcement agencies, and organizations like the Council of Better Business Bureaus and Publishers Clearing House.
- The data is based on unverified consumer reports and not on surveys.
- Sentinel has a five-year data retention policy, with older reports purged every two years.
Methodology
- Report rankings are based on the number of reports per 100,000 population.
- Population estimates used are from the 2017 U.S. Census for states and 2016 Census for metropolitan areas.
- Report categories are divided into 30 top categories, with some categories including subcategories.
Summary of Fraud Categories by Total Amount Lost
| Category |
Total $ Loss |
Median $ Loss |
# of Reports |
% Reporting $ Loss |
| Imposter Scams |
$328.42M |
$500 |
347,829 |
19% |
| Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries |
$95.05M |
$511 |
142,870 |
9% |
| Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales |
$94.12M |
$261 |
126,387 |
58% |
| Investment Related |
$47.70M |
$400 |
15,079 |
46% |
| Business and Job Opportunities |
$46.91M |
$1,063 |
18,702 |
34% |
| Travel, Vacations and Timeshare Plans |
$38.45M |
$1,710 |
22,264 |
18% |
| Foreign Money Offers & Counterfeit Check Scams |
$34.34M |
$1,008 |
31,980 |
33% |
| Internet Services |
$19.40M |
$183 |
45,093 |
14% |
| Mortgage Foreclosure Relief and Debt Management |
$17.18M |
$1,200 |
8,973 |
31% |
| Telephone and Mobile Services |
$16.92M |
$223 |
149,578 |
4% |
Summary of Identity Theft Types
| Theft Type |
# of Reports |
% Difference from Previous Year |
| Credit Card Fraud |
133,015 |
N/A |
| Employment or Tax-Related Fraud |
82,051 |
N/A |
| Phone or Utilities Fraud |
55,045 |
N/A |
| Bank Fraud |
50,517 |
N/A |
| Loan or Lease Fraud |
30,034 |
N/A |
| Government Documents or Benefits Fraud |
25,849 |
N/A |
| Other Identity Theft |
65,208 |
N/A |
Summary of Other Categories
| Category |
# of Reports |
| Debt Collection |
608,535 |
| Banks and Lenders |
149,316 |
| Credit Bureau, Information Furnishers, Report Users |
107,473 |
| Auto Related |
86,289 |
| Television and Electronic Media |
47,456 |
| Credit Cards |
45,428 |
| Computer Equipment and Software |
9,762 |
| Education |
7,791 |
| Home Repair, Improvement and Products |
5,816 |
| Funeral Services |
1,109 |
Summary of Fraud by Age
| Age Group |
% Reporting a Loss |
Median Loss |
| 20-29 |
40% |
$429 |
| 70+ |
18% |
Much higher than other age groups |
Summary of Identity Theft by Age
| Theft Type |
19 and Under |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-59 |
60-69 |
70-79 |
80+ |
| Bank Fraud |
1,299 |
8,455 |
10,782 |
9,622 |
8,532 |
6,530 |
2,589 |
947 |
| Credit Card Fraud |
1,497 |
18,512 |
31,064 |
26,816 |
23,864 |
17,593 |
6,873 |
2,257 |
| Employment or Tax-Related Fraud |
7,882 |
14,494 |
16,055 |
14,728 |
14,303 |
9,486 |
2,238 |
619 |
| Government Documents or Benefits Fraud |
996 |
2,919 |
4,350 |
4,820 |
4,622 |
5,118 |
1,407 |
704 |
| Loan or Lease Fraud |
799 |
6,746 |
8,190 |
6,035 |
3,997 |
2,112 |
663 |
205 |
| Other Identity Theft |
1,821 |
11,675 |
14,775 |
11,847 |
9,978 |
6,494 |
2,546 |
838 |
| Phone or Utilities Fraud |
978 |
11,785 |
14,696 |
10,928 |
7,851 |
4,660 |
1,768 |
522 |
Summary of Fraud by Payment Method
| Payment Method |
# of Reports |
Total $ Loss |
| Wire Transfer |
240,053 |
$904,689,044 |
| Credit Card |
45,093 |
$19.40M |
| Debit Card |
8,973 |
$17.18M |
| Other |
16,923 |
$124M |
Summary of Fraud by Contact Method
| Contact Method |
# of Reports |
Total $ Loss |
Median $ Loss |
| Phone |
509,142 |
$290M |
$720 |
| E-mail |
70,722 |
$101M |
$290 |
| Website/Others |
59,690 |
$141M |
$300 |
| Consumer Initiated Contact |
37,023 |
$65M |
$212 |
| Mail |
36,262 |
$29M |
$350 |
| Other |
16,923 |
$124M |
$1,100 |
Conclusion
The Consumer Sentinel Network serves as a critical tool for law enforcement to identify and combat fraudulent activities. The data highlights the most prevalent fraud and identity theft categories, as well as the geographic and demographic patterns of consumer reporting. While younger consumers are more likely to report fraud, older consumers tend to report higher losses. The data is dynamic and may change as new reports are added and older ones are purged.
