Illinois ranks seventh for romance scam losses: over $36 million lost

California has lost the most to romance scams, with over $258.7 million lost in 2022 and 2023. Illinois is seventh, with over $36.7 million lost. Wyoming has lost the least to love scams, with $766,256 lost over 2022 and 2023.

New data has revealed the states that are giving away the most money to “love scammers.”

Investment fraud lawyers at Investor Loss Center examined data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) from 2022 and 2023 on the total amount lost to romance scams in each year. The states were ranked based on the total lost across 2022 and 2023.

1.  California leads the nation in romance scam losses, with over a staggering $258.7 million lost over 2022 and 2023. However, the state saw a significant decrease in losses in 2023, dropping from $158.1 million in 2022 to $100.6 million. This decline may indicate improved scam awareness among residents or stronger measures to combat fraud.

2. Florida ranks second with over $116.2 million lost, and unlike California, it experienced an increase in scam losses, rising from $53.4 million in 2022 to $62.9 million in 2023.

3. Texas has lost over $114.4 million from 2022 to 2023, but saw a slight decline in total losses, dropping from $60.3 million in 2022 to $54.1 million in 2023.

4. New York experienced over $63.8 million in total losses to romance scams in 2022 and 2023. Losses declined slightly, falling from $33.5 million in 2022 to $30.2 million in 2023. The decrease suggests that scam prevention efforts in densely populated areas, like New York City, may be paying off.

5. Arizona reported over $47.6 million in losses over the two years, with a decrease from $25.4 million in 2022 to $22.2 million in 2023.

6. Washington state saw $40.9 million in total losses, dropping slightly from $21.1 million in 2022 to $19.8 million in 2023.

7. Illinois recorded over $36.7 million in total losses across 2022 and 2023. Losses increased slightly, rising from $17.8 million in 2022 to $19.0 million in 2023.

8. Pennsylvania saw over $35.7 million in total losses to romance scams over the two years, with a sharp increase from $14.4 million in 2022 to $21.3 million in 2023.

9. North Carolina reported over $34.8 million in total losses in 2022 and 2023. Losses declined slightly from $18.0 million in 2022 to $16.8 million in 2023.

10. Georgia experienced over $27.9 million in total losses over the two years, with a sharp increase from $10.5 million in 2022 to $17.4 million in 2023.

Robert Rikard, from Investor Loss Center, commented on the findings,

“Romance scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, preying on individuals’ emotional vulnerabilities and exploiting the trust built through online interactions. As scammers adapt to new technologies and platforms, it’s crucial for people to stay vigilant, verify identities, and recognize the red flags of financial requests or inconsistent stories. Education and awareness are our first line of defense against these damaging schemes, which not only cause financial losses but also emotional harm.”

Research Source:  Investor Loss Center.

Other Sources:

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): Romance scams 2022

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): Romance scams 2023

Methodology:

1. Data collection
   The data for romance scam losses was sourced from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports for 2022 and 2023. These reports include information on the total financial losses reported in each state.
2. Timeframe
   The analysis covers romance scam losses reported during the calendar years 2022 and 2023. This two-year period was selected to provide a comprehensive view of trends over time.
3. Metrics analyzed

• Total Losses: The combined financial losses reported for each state across both years.
• Year-on-Year Changes: The differences in losses between 2022 and 2023.

4. Ranking
   States were ranked based on the total losses from 2022 and 2023.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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