If it feels to you like there’s more skullduggery on the Internet than there used to be – from phishing schemes to identity theft – you’re not imagining things.
Americans lost a record $6.9 billion to online scams in 2021, up from $3.5 billion in 2019, according to a study from Social Catfish, an online dating investigation service.
The amount lost has nearly doubled since the global pandemic began in 2020, “as people were forced to work, shop and date online.… Scammers have grown increasingly sophisticated to capitalize” the report said.
“This alarming trend is showing no signs of slowing down, as an unprecedented number of victims are losing their life savings, with many tragically taking their own lives. Moreover, the vast majority of victims are too humiliated to come forward.”
The number of people victimized by online scams more than doubled to 847,376 last year from 467,361 in 2019.
The Golden State Blues
In terms of geography, here are the states where victims lost the most money combined in 2021.
1. California: $1.228 billion — $18,302 per victim.
2. Texas: $606 million — $14,732 per victim.
3. New York: $560 million — $19,266 per victim.
4. Florida: $529 million — $33,338 per victim.
The Federal Trade Commission calculated that Americans lost $770 million last year from scams on social media, the report said. That’s 18 times the total of 2017.
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