Introduction
Identity theft and fraud are major consumer protection issues in the United States. Reliable public data sources show that reported losses and complaints are significant—and rising in many categories.
Two widely cited data sets are:
- The FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, which aggregates consumer reports across fraud and identity theft categories; in 2024, Sentinel received 6.5 million consumer reports.
- The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) annual report; the FBI press release describing the 2024 report cites 859,532 complaints and reported losses exceeding $16 billion, with the PDF report stating $16.6 billion in losses.
This article summarizes what those official reports indicate, using neutral language and avoiding prevention guarantees.
What “Identity Theft” and “Fraud” Usually Mean (U.S. Usage)
- Identity theft generally refers to unauthorized use of someone’s personal information (e.g., opening accounts, filing claims, or taking over accounts).
- Fraud is broader and can include scams, impersonation schemes, investment fraud, romance scams, and cyber-enabled theft.
The FTC and FBI categorize these issues differently, which is why comparing systems is tricky; still, both show large volumes of reporting.
The Scale of the Problem: Key U.S. Numbers
FTC Consumer Sentinel data
The FTC reports that in 2024, the Consumer Sentinel Network received 6.5 million reports spanning fraud, identity theft, and other categories.
The FTC also issued a press release stating consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase over the prior year.
FBI IC3 data
The FBI’s IC3 annual report describes:
- 859,532 complaints in the reporting year
- reported losses of $16.6 billion (record level)
These two datasets are not directly additive because they measure different pipelines and definitions, but together they show the large scale of consumer-reported harm.
Why These Numbers Can Be Underestimates
Official sources commonly note underreporting: many victims don’t file reports due to embarrassment, uncertainty, or believing nothing can be done. That means official totals reflect reported losses and complaints, not necessarily total incidence.
Common Patterns Seen in U.S. Reporting (High-Level)
Without naming specific “how-to” details, public reporting often highlights recurring themes:
- impersonation and account takeover
- phishing and credential compromise
- investment-related scams and payment redirection schemes
- data exposure leading to attempts at misuse
The FBI IC3 also highlights large impacts to older adults in many reporting years; media summaries citing the IC3 report note high losses among older age groups.
Reporting Ecosystem in the U.S. (Educational Map)
Because identity theft and fraud span many channels, U.S. reporting typically involves different entities, depending on the incident type:
- FTC: consumer fraud and identity theft reporting and recovery guidance (Consumer Sentinel is also a data aggregation system).
- FBI IC3: internet-enabled crime complaints and aggregated annual reporting.
- Credit bureaus: fraud alerts and credit freezes (depending on consumer choice and eligibility)
- Financial institutions: transaction disputes and account security steps
This article is informational only and does not provide incident-specific instructions.
Identity Theft and Credit Reports (Why Monitoring Is Discussed)
Because unauthorized accounts and inquiries can appear on credit reports, consumer education frequently ties identity protection to report monitoring and accuracy review.
FTC guidance highlights the availability of free reports and encourages review.
The CFPB notes that report accuracy issues are a persistent concern.
Practical Consumer Concepts (Non-Advisory, Educational)
Educational resources commonly discuss:
- understanding what official reports mean (reported losses vs total losses)
- maintaining awareness of account activity
- knowing which reporting channel applies to which type of incident
- using consumer rights tools when needed (fraud alerts/freezes/disputes), depending on individual circumstances
No method eliminates risk entirely; “prevention” language should be treated cautiously.
FAQ (Educational)
Why do the FTC and FBI show different totals?
They collect different report types and use different categorization, so totals are not directly comparable.
Is fraud increasing in the U.S.?
FTC data shows reported fraud losses of more than $12.5B in 2024, up 25% from the prior year (reported losses).
How big is internet crime reporting?
The FBI IC3 report describes 859,532 complaints and $16.6B in reported losses.
Author Information
Written by:
Beenish Rida Habib — Mortgage & Lending Contributor, ACT Global Media
Beenish Rida Habib is a Florida-licensed Mortgage Loan Originator with licensing since 2018. She contributes educational content explaining U.S. credit and mortgage concepts.
Editorial Disclosure
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, credit, mortgage, financial, or identity protection advice.
Regulatory Notice
Fraud patterns, reporting processes, and consumer protections vary by jurisdiction and regulatory framework. Information is based on publicly available U.S. sources.
