Main Street Finance

Are Online Scams on the Rise? New report sheds light on online purchase scams

By Kat

Do you find yourself getting more and more robo calls than ever? Receiving suspicious text messages almost every day? Double and triple checking who an email came from before clicking the link? These days it can feel like there are scams around every corner.

A recent study brought attention to the amount of online purchases scams happening in each state and how many dollars have been lost due to these scams. The study claims that over 12,000 Americans have been affected by online scams and that the number of people targeted rose 75% from 2015 to 2021.

While the country as a whole has lost $5.3 million to online scams, there are some states that have it worse than others. Montana, Oregon, and Wisconsin together make the top 3 states that were most affected. While these states have the most scams per capita, Arizona leads the country in the number of dollars lost. The state of Arizona lost over $4,700 over the last year. The leading scam Arizonians fell for was catfishing, which is where someone pretends to be someone they’re not and tricks someone on the other side of the computer screen. Unfortunately, many of these cases end in the “catfish” asking the victim for money and disappearing after receiving it.

This study from Coventry Direct is a great reminder to all of us to remain diligent and alert when it comes to shopping online and interacting with others virtually. Take time to remind your older loved ones and children of the red flags to look for so that they don’t fall victim and make sure to take care of yourself online, too!

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