It appears the tides are changing in the sea of scams. New statistics find those tech savvy teens are being scammed at a faster rate than their grandparents in Florida. According to Social Catfish, the amount of money lost by scam victims 20 and younger grew nearly 2500% from 2017 to 2022. During that same period the numbers grew 805% for seniors. That translates into a loss of $210 million for teens.
However, seniors lost an estimated 3.1 billion dollars in 2022. They are still considered to be the most victimized segment of the population. Florida ranks number two in the nation as the most-scammed state. Social Catfish used data from the FBI, IC3 and FTC to come up with the statistics. They found in 2022 there were nearly 43,000 scam victims in The Sunshine State. Those victims were duped out of a whopping $6.9 billion.
Tech savvy teens scammed
The surge of young victims is said to evidence of the sophistication scammers are using. Here are some tips to avoid scams on social media. There are all kinds of fake accounts from scammers posing as an actual influencer. They often ask you to pay a fee for a prize or share your bank info so they can transfer money. Never send that kind of info to someone you don’t know.
Be on alert when shopping. Do not share bank info online with someone you don’t know.
Romance and sexting scams
People steal photos of good looking people all of the time. They are used with the intent to get you to fall in love or lust, then send money. Do a reverse search on the person to confirm their identity. And don’t send explicit photos to someone you’ve met on line. They could threaten to make them public if you don’t pay them. It is called sextortion.
Online shopping and gaming scams
These are two big areas to use caution. Only purchase apps directly from the game’s manufacturer. When shopping, inspect the website. Look for lots of typos. Next, look closely at the customer service email. If it is a yahoo, gmail, or similar account, consider it a red flag. Move on.
Valentines Day Romance Scams In Florida, Most Catfished State
If you are looking for love, we have your back with a few tips on avoiding Valentines Day romance scams in Florida, most catfished state in the country. The statistics actually put the Sunshine State at number two on the catfish list. That’s nothing to brag about. We are going to attempt to save you some heartache.
Who doesn’t want to drive off into the sunset with a lover, or person of their dreams. Unfortunately, not everyone is who they say they are.
Most “catfished” state and what it means
“Catfished” is a term coined to describe deception at its worst. It is when a person creates a fake identity, usually on social media, with the intent of deceiving and scamming people he or she meets. It’s especially prevalent in the dating world. That leads us to Valentine’s Day. This is the season where scammers really turn up the charm a notch, tugging at your heart strings and taking advantage of your vulnerability.
According to Social Catfish, Florida ranks number two in the amount of people scammed. California is number 1 and Texas is number three. Next, there is the amount of money these victims have lost. Analyzing FBI and FTC data from 2022, they say more than 1,700 people in Florida were scammed out of money by catfishers. The average loss per person was $40,554. The worst part, these numbers only reflect the people who contacted the authorities. It is believed that more than 1/2 billion dollars in the United States was lost to romance scams in 2021. The FTC puts that number at 1.3 billion over the past five years. That’s a lot of money.
Are you suspicious of someone you’ve been chatting with online? You can try this site for searches and help. Here are some warning signs and what to do if you are catfish suspicious. Let us help you avoid Valentines Day romance scams in Florida, most catfished state, with these tips.
