The 10 Most Scammed States In America

By Michael B. Cohen

Vice President of Global Operations
MyChargeBack

Scams are a serious problem in the United States, affecting millions of people and costing billions of dollars every year. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans reported losing over $3.3 billion to fraud in 2020, an increase of more than 50% from 2019. Some states, however, are more vulnerable to scams than others, based on factors such as population size, income level, education level, and internet access.

In this blog post, we will reveal the 10 most scammed states in America, according to the FTC’s data for 2020. 

The 10 most scammed states in America are:

1. Nevada: Nevada had the highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 1,037 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Nevadans amounted to $38.9 million, with an average loss of $304 per report. The most common types of scams reported in Nevada were online shopping scams, impostor scams, and romance scams.
2. Delaware: Delaware had the second-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 1,021 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Delawareans amounted to $12.5 million, with an average loss of $287 per report. The most common types of scams reported in Delaware were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and credit card fraud.
3. Florida: Florida had the third-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 999 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Floridians amounted to $295.4 million, with an average loss of $537 per report. The most common types of scams reported in Florida were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and travel/vacation scams.
4. Maryland: Maryland had the fourth-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 931 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Marylanders amounted to $84.8 million, with an average loss of $209 per report. The most common types of scams reported in Maryland were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and identity theft.
5. Georgia: Georgia had the fifth-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 924 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Georgians amounted to $105.9 million, with an average loss of $263 per report. The most common types of scams reported in Georgia were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and government grant scams.
6. New Jersey: New Jersey had the sixth-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 905 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by New Jerseyans amounted to $101 million, with an average loss of $256 per report. The most common types of scams reported in New Jersey were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and credit card fraud.
7. California: California had the seventh-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 893 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Californians amounted to $621.5 million, with an average loss of $1,271 per report. The most common types of scams reported in California were impostor scams, online shopping scams, and identity theft.
8. Illinois: Illinois had the eighth-highest rate of fraud reports per capita in 2020, with 891 reports per 100,000 people. The total losses reported by Illinoisans amounted to $106 million

Some of the most common types of scams in the US are:

• Impostor scams: These are scams where the scammer pretends to be someone you trust, such as a family member, a friend, a government official, a charity worker, or a romantic interest. They may contact you by phone, email, text, or social media, and ask you to send them money or gift cards, or to provide them with your personal or financial information. They may claim that they need your help for an emergency, a prize, a donation, a tax refund, or a verification.
• Online shopping scams: These are scams where the scammer offers you a product or service online that is either fake, defective, or never delivered. They may create fake websites, ads, or social media posts that look legitimate, and ask you to pay by wire transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency. They may also send you phishing emails that try to steal your account or payment information.
• Travel/vacation scams: These are scams where the scammer offers you a travel deal that is too good to be true, such as a free or discounted flight, hotel, cruise, or rental car. They may ask you to pay upfront fees, taxes, or deposits by wire transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency. They may also send you fake confirmation emails or vouchers that are worthless.
• Credit card fraud: This is a type of identity theft where the scammer uses your credit card information to make unauthorized purchases or withdrawals. They may obtain your credit card information by stealing your card, skimming your card at an ATM or a gas pump, hacking into a merchant’s database, or phishing for your details online.
• Government grant scams: These are scams where the scammer claims that you have been selected to receive a free government grant that you do not have to pay back. They may contact you by phone, email, text, or social media, and ask you to pay a processing fee, a delivery fee, or taxes by wire transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency. They may also ask you to provide them with your personal or financial information.

If you have been a victim of any of these scams, or any other type of fraud, you may feel hopeless and helpless. But there is a way to fight back and recover your money. MyChargeBack is a company that specializes in helping scam victims get their money back from banks and payment processors. We have a team of experts who know how to deal with complex and challenging cases. We have helped thousands of clients from over 150 countries recover millions of dollars from scammers.

If you want to learn more about how MyChargeBack can help you. Please contact us and start on your path to recovery.