New study reveals identity theft remains top issue sent to FTC

For the 12th consecutive year, the No. 1 complaint sent to the Federal Trade Commission involved identity theft in 2011.

The FTC recently announced that of the more than 1.8 million complaints it received last year, 15 percent were for identity theft, followed by debt collection complaints, which accounted for 10 percent. Of the identity theft incidents measured, 25 percent regarded wage or tax-related fraud.

"The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad," the agency stated. "Enforcers search the database to research cases, track targets, and identify victims."

Identity theft cases continue to mount, especially in the United States. According to a recent Javelin Strategy & Research study, nearly 12 million Americans were the victims of such attacks last year, increasing 13 percent compared to 2010. Experts agree password manager software makes it more difficult for hackers to obtain sensitive account information, providing individuals with a more effective security solution.