States that have lost the most money due to online scams – Alabama named top
New data has revealed states that have seen the highest losses due to cybercrime, with Alabama taking first place with $50,670 lost per victim
New research has revealed which states have lost the most money per-victim due to online scams over the last year – with Alabama named the biggest sufferer. Following it, we have New York and Massachusetts, with a combined loss of over $1.25 billion of all three states.
The analysis, conducted by our very own team of experts, delved into Federal Bureau of Investigations data on the total monetary losses experienced due to cybercrime. We scaled this information against the number of victims in each state, to identify the most-impacted areas.
Festive periods are more dangerous
Today, online scams are highly prevalent. The US alone has seen an average loss of $18.3k per victim – with nearly half a million people reporting an incidence of cybercrime over the last year.
The risk of being targeted is particularly high as we head into the festive period. As consumers are seeking online bargains over Black Friday, they are more likely to be targeted by a surge in cybercriminals. These periods are notorious for malicious parties looking to take advantage of this increased online activity. Especially when potentially big sums of money is involved.
This may include launching phishing attacks and fraudulent emails. Such a scam involves scammers attempting to deceive consumers into disclosing sensitive information like their login details or banking information. We also have seen cases of scammers creating fake retail sites with ‘too good to be true’ deals to lure shoppers.
The most affected states
Our research has shown that internet users in Alabama should be especially cautious. The state ranked first with the highest losses per person over the last 12 months – with around $50.6k lost per victim.
Following Alabama as the second state most-affected by online crime is New York, having lost $30.9k. A 51% higher loss than the national average ($18.3k). The state also saw the fourth-highest victim count, with 25,112 incidents of cybercrime reported.
Rounding out the top-three most-affected states is Massachusetts with $28.9k per victim lost due to online scams. And in the fourth place is South Dakota with a $28.4k average loss per victim.
The top ten states with the biggest losses due to cybercrime
The least affected states
On the other end of the scale, we found that the state that has lost the least from online crime is Vermont. It totaled just a $5.9k lost per victim. Vermont also reported the fewest victims with just 707 people affected by scams.
The second-safest state for online shoppers came out as Indiana. It reported 11.6k complaints of online scams yet managed to lose 65% less money than the national average. In total, that’s only $6.3k lost.
Third from last as one of the safest states is West Virginia, with around $9.8K in losses per victim. A 46% decrease from the national average.
Staying vigilant is crucial
Still, shoppers in the least-affected states need to stay vigilant against cybercrime, as there’s been a 127% rise in online scams since 2018, the FBI’s Internet Crime Report shows. Furthermore, some crimes have proven more prevalent over the last year than others, our report reveals, with the top five including extortion, phishing, personal data breach, non-payment/non-delivery and tech support crimes.
Phishing by far has the most incidences, with over 300k nationwide complaints in the latest report. These include attacks carried out for malicious purposes like identity theft, financial fraud, or gaining unauthorized access to systems or accounts.
Shoppers will need to be careful when shopping online this Black Friday. I won’t be the first and the last one to say this, but online scams are a major issue for internet users. Especially with the festive season coming up. Criminals will look to take advantage of an influx of activity and will target those who are especially vulnerable to theft.
This may include older people who are unfamiliar with the warning signs, such as typos in a brand’s name, deals that are too good to be true, or suspicious pop-up ads. It’s crucial that you don’t give out your personal information unless you’re absolutely sure who’s asking.
From my experience, using a reliable anti-virus can help keep yourself protected against malware. And it is also good to practice skeptical thinking when asked for money. Always be cautious of unsolicited emails or phone calls and verify the legitimacy of the sender wherever possible.
States that have lost the most money due to online scams: infographic
This is our original article and infographic about states that that have lost the most money due to online scams.
If you use these insights, please credit https://vpnpro.com/, who conducted the research. A linked credit allows us to keep supplying you with content that you may find useful in the future.
Data is gathered from the IC3 report 2022 investigated by the FBI.
Full Ranking
| State | Losses | No. of Victims | Loss per Victim |
| Alabama | $247,930,058 | 4,893 | $50,670.36 |
| New York | $777,099,358 | 25,112 | $30,945.34 |
| Massachusetts | $226,202,504 | 7,805 | $28,981.74 |
| South Dakota | $48,072,730 | 1,691 | $28,428.58 |
| California | $2,012,806,866 | 80,766 | $24,921.46 |
| Kansas | $58,149,297 | 2,399 | $24,238.97 |
| New Jersey | $284,590,029 | 11,793 | $24,132.11 |
| Georgia | $322,638,566 | 13,415 | $24,050.58 |
| Utah | $98,840,388 | 4,325 | $22,853.27 |
| Connecticut | $99,937,935 | 4,683 | $21,340.58 |
| Hawaii | $35,776,983 | 1,703 | $21,008.21 |
| Wyoming | $17,980,141 | 863 | $20,834.46 |
| New Hampshire | $29,322,824 | 1,416 | $20,708.21 |
| North Dakota | $14,279,199 | 703 | $20,311.81 |
| Idaho | $40,323,594 | 2,001 | $20,151.72 |
| Oregon | $109,917,253 | 5,516 | $19,926.99 |
| Arizona | $241,191,959 | 12,112 | $19,913.47 |
| Florida | $844,972,494 | 42,792 | $19,746.04 |
| Texas | $763,140,903 | 38,661 | $19,739.30 |
| Rhode Island | $21,827,037 | 1,119 | $19,505.84 |
| Washington | $240,923,860 | 12,432 | $19,379.33 |
| Montana | $22,252,737 | 1,170 | $19,019.43 |
| Maryland | $217,880,447 | 11,644 | $18,711.82 |
| Illinois | $266,742,489 | 14,786 | $18,040.21 |
| Minnesota | $103,771,677 | 5,845 | $17,753.92 |
| Delaware | $40,980,800 | 2,327 | $17,611.00 |
| Virginia | $205,462,224 | 11,882 | $17,291.89 |
| Pennsylvania | $250,903,241 | 14,714 | $17,052.01 |
| North Carolina | $175,454,536 | 10,554 | $16,624.46 |
| Oklahoma | $66,517,159 | 4,148 | $16,035.96 |
| Arkansas | $46,230,114 | 2,887 | $16,013.20 |
| Tennessee | $113,713,897 | 7,161 | $15,879.61 |
| Missouri | $118,365,728 | 7,560 | $15,656.84 |
| Colorado | $178,389,862 | 11,683 | $15,269.18 |
| Maine | $21,403,477 | 1,435 | $14,915.31 |
| Nebraska | $28,659,814 | 1,957 | $14,644.77 |
| Iowa | $42,806,846 | 2,959 | $14,466.66 |
| Nevada | $127,315,394 | 9,090 | $14,006.09 |
| Wisconsin | $108,909,445 | 7,863 | $13,850.88 |
| Mississippi | $28,213,583 | 2,043 | $13,809.88 |
| Kentucky | $57,045,801 | 4,256 | $13,403.62 |
| Ohio | $180,091,279 | 13,659 | $13,184.81 |
| Michigan | $177,865,280 | 13,566 | $13,111.11 |
| Louisiana | $55,696,565 | 4,335 | $12,848.11 |
| South Carolina | $100,256,530 | 7,861 | $12,753.66 |
| New Mexico | $32,941,959 | 2,589 | $12,723.82 |
| Alaska | $16,826,999 | 1,539 | $10,933.72 |
| West Virginia | $18,200,401 | 1,846 | $9,859.37 |
| Indiana | $73,678,120 | 11,682 | $6,306.98 |
| Vermont | $4,171,374 | 707 | $5,900.10 |
