ID Theft Complaints Soared in 2015, but Gripes on Debt Collection Were Higher, Says FTC

Identity theft was the second most reported complaint to the FTC in 2015, soaring by more than 47 percent from the prior year, the commission said in its annual summary of consumer complaints released Tuesday. The commission said the increase is attributable to a "massive jump" in tax ID theft complaints. ID theft complaints had been the top category for the previous 15 years before debt collection complaints eclipsed it last year, said the commission. Debt collection complaints rose largely because of submissions by a data contributor who collects such complaints via a mobile app, FTC said. “Steps like the recent upgrade to IdentityTheft.gov [see 1601280051] 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," said Consumer Protection Bureau Chief Jessica Rich in a statement. The FTC's annual Consumer Sentinel Network data book contains complaints made directly by consumers to the commission, plus those received by other federal and state law enforcement agencies, national consumer protection groups and nongovernmental organizations.