FTC announces top consumer complaints of 2010

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently unveiled its top consumer complaints from 2010 - with identity theft topping the list for the 11th straight year. The FTC said that it had received some 1.34 million consumer complaints during 2010 and ID theft complaints had made up 19 percent of the total. Coming in second were debt collection complaints, making up 11 percent, followed by complaints about internet auctions, and telephone and mobile services. "Most people don't know how their identity was stolen," said FTC spokeswoman Claudia Bourne Farrell. "If you lose your wallet on Monday and Tuesday someone starts using your cards, you have a pretty good educated guess. Otherwise you don't. And how would you know if someone stole your identity on the internet?" Identity theft and identity verification are some of the most pressing issues today for many consumers. The FTC recently made other headlines when it unveiled the "Red Flag Rule," outlining regulations companies needed to follow to protect clients' identities.