The FBI on Tuesday reported an increase in the number of scam complaints from seniors in 2023. This was accompanied by a simultaneous increase in money stolen by those scammers.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received roughly 14% more complaints from individuals over 60 in 2023. The scammers involved in those incidents lifted $3.4 billion from seniors over the same time period—an 11% increase from 2022.
What are the exact numbers on this? The ICCC received more than 100,000 complaints, and more than 5,000 of those complaints involved losses of $100,000 or more. The average monetary loss across all incidents was nearly $34,000.
What sorts of scams were most prolific? Tech support scams were by far the most common complaint reported by seniors, according to the FBI. Around $1.2 billion was lost in investment scams. That’s more than double the amount lost in the second most costly type of scam for seniors, the aforementioned tech support scams.
Where did these scams largely take place? In California, Florida, and Texas, individuals over 60 were most often scammed or targeted by scams. North Dakota, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., saw the fewest scams or attempted scams.
This story originally appeared in WORLD. © 2024, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
The common answer around here is mainly to create more handouts and free housing. You are incentivizing laziness, drug use, and the idea that gov will take care of you. You have attracted homeless populations elsewhere to move here. Build it, open it, provide it and they will come! At Dignity Village I remember one guy there cut trees in back and sold firewood making $300 plus a week, another had an online homeless newspaper touting the free sandwiches, buss rides and daily shower. And, at least 20 had their cars, vans or small campers parked nearby and used their monthly gov checks & food stamps (sold to others) for their vices: alcohol, drugs, gambling. Keep providing: they will come and we will continue to pay more and more!