Imposter scam

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued its “2023 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book,” providing aggregated information from last year on a full range of fraud, identity theft, and other consumer protection topics. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network is a database that receives reports directly from consumers, as well as from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Better Business Bureau, industry members, and non-profit organizations. More than 20 states contribute data to Sentinel. Sentinel received 5.4 million reports in 2023; these included fraud reports, as well as identity theft reports, and complaints related to other consumer issues, such as problems with credit bureaus, banks, and lenders...