Federal Trade Commission, USA - Consumer Sentinel Network database

The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network is a free access tool that holds data on millions of consumer complaints. This data can be analysed to show macro trends in complaints, and be interrogated to show details of complaints. For example, in the case of reported fraud, an upward spike in ID theft and online fraud was clearly seen in 2020 over the course of the early pandemic lockdowns. Users can click through this data to find details such as the contact method used or type of scam in play. International comparisons can also be made to assess the levels and types of fraud in other countries.

This data is used by FTC investigators, attorneys, economists and data analysts to aid enforcement. They can mine the information to identify law violations, targets for investigation and to find potential witnesses. Users can also request alerts based on particular issues or targets they are following. 

Externally, the Consumer Sentinel also provides for greater awareness of what consumers should be on the lookout for. For example, the latest release of data via a consumer-facing dashboard showed that bank impersonation is the most reported text-message scam, followed by ‘free gift’ scams, fake delivery notifications and fake job offers.