A Growing Problem

Consider these statistics:

• PhoneBusters received 12,409 complaints of identity theft in 2005, with total losses amounting to more than $8.6 million. In 2006, while the number of claims lowered to 7,778, the value of thefts raised to $16.2 million.

• Of those complaints registered in 2005, 361 were registered by Manitobans for $181,490.32. In 2006, 249 reports were registered to PhoneBusters, totaling $151,860.16. The province with the most complaints and losses was Ontario, with 3,353 calls to PhoneBusters, totaling approximately $7.6 million in 2006.

• Recol.ca reports that the second most fraud charges to its website are described as Online Auction Fraud across Canada, trailing only the “Other Fraud” category, which alone has received nearly 5,000 alerts since the website was launched in October 2003.

• For Manitoba, recol.ca has received 40 Online Auction Fraud complaints, coming in third behind Advance Fee (nearly 50) and Other Fraud (more than 55) alerts.