The 10 states in America hit worst by money scams
Individuals who fall victim to scams are often being manipulated into making impulsive decisions from online fraudsters. These schemes can result in the loss of money or personal information, forcing victims to take drastic measures, such as freezing their accounts or calling up companies where their stolen identity may have been used.
The types of scams can vary. Some may be more elaborate, like an imposter scam, while others could be more in the weeds, such as internet fraud.
Where individuals succumb to a scam can also vary, according to injury lawyers Bader Scott, who conducted the fraud case study. The firm gathered and compiled data from individuals who reported scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) between April 2023 and March 2024. To make make sure the comparisons were fair, they scaled each state’s population with the highest volume per 100,000 residents.
The most common scams? Imposter scams and online shopping fraud. Overall, the FTC reported nearly 50 scams related to travel, vacation, and timeshare plans.
Lets take a look at the 10 U.S. states hit by scammers the most, which types of scams plagued individuals, and the number of fraud reports the FTC received during that time window.
10. New Jersey
- Top scam: Investment frauds, cyber threats, mortgage foreclosure relief, and debt management.
- Fraud cases: 108,500
9. South Carolina
- Top scam: Online shopping frauds are the second most common type of scam reported. The state’s residents have lost $21.9 million.
- Fraud cases: 62,900
Illinois
- Top scams: Imposter scams were included in this figure, per Bader Scott.
- Fraud cases: 150,600
Pennsylvania
- Top scams: Investment frauds, cyber threats, mortgage foreclosure relief, and debt management plagued Pennsylvania residents.
- Fraud cases: 156,000
Arizona
- Top scams: Arizona’s a hotspot for scams. The firm’s data highlights health care scams, prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries, and travel fraud as areas locals need to be extra aware.
- Fraud cases: 90,200
Maryland
- Top scams: In Maryland, mortgage foreclosure relief and debt management fraud rank high.
- Fraud cases: 88,200
Delaware
- Top scams: The firm found that for such a small population, residents have lost $6.3 million to fraud. Notably, imposter fraud was to blame.
- Fraud cases: 15,300
Nevada
- Top scams: The state’s residents dealt with thousands of imposter crime instances, the firm found in its report.
- Fraud cases: 48,900
Florida
- Top scams: The most common type of scam in Florida is imposter scams, the firm found, adding that online shopping and negative reviews rank second. Moreover, Florida has consistently ranked in the top four places hit by scammers the worst in the last five years. In just the first three months of this year, residents have lost over $171 million to fraudsters.
- Fraud cases: 359,300
Georgia
- Top scams: Georgia takes the top spot as the state that suffers the highest rates of fraud. The state’s top scamming method is imposter scams, followed by others phony tactics like online shopping, internet service fraud, and business and job opportunities. Georgia has frequently ranked high as it relates to fraud incidents. That’s despite the city of Atlanta being named one of best U.S. cities to live in and ironically, one of the best places to start your own business, per LinkedIn.
- Fraud cases: 177,000