That's according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission which is listed on the FTC's Web site. It also shows Georgia the number 13 state in the nation in ID theft reports.
In addition to Gainesville, other Georgia metropolitan areas ranking in the Top 20 were Columbus (4th); Savannah (9th); Albany (10th); Atlanta (11th); Macon (16th); and Valdosta (17th).
Gainesville also ranks 22nd in "fraud and other consumer related complaints," according to the posting.
The FTC says its 2011 Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) Data Book "is based on unverified complaints reported by consumers" and the data is not based on a consumer survey.
The CSN says it received over 1.8 million complaints nationwide "during calendar year 2011: 55% fraud complaints; 15% identity theft complaints; and 30% other types of complaints."
The report says identity theft was the number one complaint category nationwide in the CSN for calendar year 2011 "with 15% of the overall complaints, followed by Debt Collection (10%); Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries (6%); Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales (5%); Banks and Lenders (5% ); Internet Services (5%); Auto Related Complaints (4%); Impostor Scams (4%); Telephone and Mobile Services (4%); and Advance-Fee Loans and Credit
Protection/Repair (3%)."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/3/246835