Internet Crime Complaint Center logs 2 million entries

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which has been set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center, recently logged its 2 millionth consumer complaint alleging online criminal activity.

The FBI said the 2 millionth complaint was received on November 9, 2010.

Ever since the inception of IC3, it has referred 757,016 criminal complaints to law enforcement agencies around the globe, a majority of which involved frauds in which the complainant incurred a financial loss. The total reported loss from these referrals is about $1.7 billion, with a median reported loss of more than $500 per complaint, the FBI said in a statement.

Many complaints involved identity theft, such as loss of personally identifying data, and the unauthorized use of credit cards or bank accounts, the FBI reported.

The IC3, which was set up in May 2000, received its 1 millionth complaint on June 11, 2007. It took half that time to receive the 2 millionth complaint, which illustrates the IC3's increased visibility and the continued growth of cyber crime, the FBI said.

The IC3 uses information from complaints to detect emerging trends and proactively fight consumer victimization through educational efforts with project partners, various publications and the consumer education website, www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.