NEWS: The FBI on March 22 released its 2021 Internet Crime report, which found that Americans lost more than $6.9 billion ($15 million in New Hampshire) to fraudsters using technology to steal money from people. And those are just the people who reported the crime to the FBI.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU: Most people think they’re too savvy to get taken in by fraud, but scammers’ methods are constantly getting more sophisticated, and if you’ve ever clicked on a link, you are vulnerable.
You may think you’re too smart or savvy to get taken in by a scam. The truth is, though, the majority of people are susceptible to scams and fraud, particularly as we live more of our lives online.
Scammers don’t always advertise themselves with a Nigerian address or outrageous claims that you have millions coming to you. As people have become more dependent on technology to communicate, scammers and fraudsters have gotten way more sophisticated.
The FBI Cyber Crime Center (IC3) tracks more than 30 different types of scams that originate through a computer, device or phone. We’re going to take a look at three that everyday people like us are particularly vulnerable to.
Confidence Fraud/Romance Scams
The FBI got reports from 24,966 victims of romance scams in 2021, with losses of $956 million. The actual amount of victims and money list is likely many times higher. IC3 statistics are based on reports directly from victims to the FBI. The FBI says that it’s likely “most losses” of this…
