While placing as the top state for some things gives us bragging rights, this one is certainly not one to be proud of. According to a report released by IPX 1031, a fidelity National Financial Company, Georgia reported more fraud and identity thefts than any other state at 1,599 per 100,000 people. Delaware came in at a close second at 1,582 reports, followed by Nevada which was lower at 1,516.
Interestingly, Tuscaloosa, AL is the city with the most fraud and identity theft reports among the 380 metropolitan areas measured. Atlanta ranks second for fraud and fifth for identity theft, still nothing to be proud of.
This study focused on scams targeting individuals and families specifically, finding that 55% of American have experienced fraud or identity theft at some point in their lifetimes, and 29% were scammed in the last year. The most successful fraud attempts are:
- Online shopping scams
- Identity theft
- Phishing scams/wire fraud
- Credit card scams
- Imposter scams
The average victim has lost $1,500 in the last three years and $4,500 in their lifetimes due to one of these scams too, though there is certainly potential to lose much more.
What is interesting is that 39% of victims never report it because they didn’t think it was enough to warrant a report, they weren’t sure how or where to file a report, or they were simply too embarrassed to report it.
You can read the full reports about state-level and individual fraud if you want to learn more. And read our regular blog posts and Tuesday Tips to learn more about how to avoid falling prey to scammers.
