The states reporting the most (and fewest) scams in 2026

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The states reporting the most (and fewest) scams in 2026

Anyone can fall victim to a scam, but living in some parts of the U.S. can put you at higher risk.

In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission put together a comprehensive Consumer Sentinel Network aggregation of reported incidents, and it revealed a clear pattern. More than 6 million reports of fraud, identity theft, and other consumer complaints were measured against state populations.

Some states reported scams at nearly triple the rate of others. Spokeo broke down the data to show where fraud reports cluster and to detail the scams dominating those regions, so consumers have a better sense of the risks closest to home.

Why this story matters

Fraud isn’t some distant statistic unlikely to affect your daily life. It’s a very real and pressing issue for many people around the country.

According to data from the FTC, Americans reported losing more than $15.9 billion in single-year losses from fraud in 2025. Younger adults, in particular, report losing money to fraud more than older adults, though older adults lose far more in single instances. This is a reflection of scammers targeting retirement savings and larger sums.

The FTC state rankings tell an interesting story: A small state can carry a much higher per-resident risk rate than a state with more overall complaints.

Knowing which states and scam types carry the highest per capita risk can help residents recognize warning signs of a scam before becoming a victim. It can also help policymakers and consumer advocates tailor protections and resources toward the areas that matter most.

Methodology: How Spokeo built the ranking

Our ranking draws from the FTC’s 2024 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, which compiles fraud, identity theft, and other consumer complaints directly to the agency, as well as its law enforcement partners.

States are ranked by reports per 100,000 residents, utilizing 2023 Census population estimates, which is the same method the FTC uses in its own rankings. Our rankings reflect the FTC’s combined fraud and other report category, spanning everything from imposter scams to general complaints about banks, lenders, debt collectors, and more. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are tracked separately and have been excluded from the state-by-state rankings.

State-by-state highlights: Top 5 and bottom 5

Based on fraud reports per 100,000 residents by state, the heatmap shows some significant outliers across the country:

Spokeo

The map reflects fraud reports specifically. Another ranking draws on the FTC’s broader fraud research and other measurements. The two measures don’t always rank every state the same way, but they tell a similar geographical story. Fraud reporting is highest across the Southeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and a handful of Sunbelt and Mountain West states.

On that broader FTC ranking, Florida led the nation in 2024 with 2,163 fraud and other reports per 100,000 residents, followed by Georgia at 2,108 and Delaware at 1,876.

Nevada and Maryland rounded out the top five with 1,867 and 1,799 reports, respectively. Looking also at individual fraud reports only, these states are among the most targeted by scammers.

At the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota recorded the lowest rate in the country at just 676 reports. They were joined by North Dakota at 696, Iowa at 715, West Virginia at 836, and Kansas at 848 to round out the bottom five.

Across many of the states in this ranking, imposter scams rank among the most commonly reported scam types. These occur when individuals attempt to pose as someone they are not, including government agencies, romantic interests, tech support workers, or well-known businesses. The 2025 Sentinel ranking noted more than 1 million imposter scam reports totaling $3.5 billion in losses.

National trend context: What’s driving the surge

Let’s take a look at the fraud numbers on a national basis. Total reported losses climbed up to $15.9 billion in 2025, the highest on record and an increase of about 25% from 2024.

Frauds involving internet services, including reports about payment apps and online payments, jumped in 2025, with losses totalling $209 million. While more reports about credit bureaus, such as errors on a credit report or unauthorized pulls, nearly doubled year-over-year in 2024, that number dipped in 2025.

Investment scams also accounted for more reported dollar losses than any other category at $7.9 billion, with a median loss per victim of more than $10,400.

Pressure from unwanted calls has not receded in recent years. The FTC’s 2025 Do Not Call Registry logged more than 2.6 million complaints, with debt-reduction schemes, imposters, and medical or prescription pitches among the most frequently cited in reports.

Prevention takeaways for readers

Regardless of where your specific state ranks, the FTC’s own data points to a number of consistent defenses against becoming a victim of a scam:

1. Be skeptical of unsolicited contact from anyone claiming to be a government agency, bank, or distant relative in distress. Hang up and instead call the organization or person back using a number from an official site or phonebook
2. Treat any request to move money by bank transfer or cryptocurrency with extra caution, as those two payment methods accounted for the largest dollar losses in recent years and are difficult to reverse
3. Don’t assume a phone call is safer than an email or text just because it feels more personal
4. Report any suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, even if no money changed hands so that the same Sentinel database behind rankings like this one can be updated to inform law enforcement

Scams show no signs of letting up, and the technology these individuals use is becoming more advanced. It’s never been more crucial to act with caution.

Avoid becoming a scam victim

Fraud doesn’t respect state lines and it doesn’t hit every state the same way. Whether you live in a high-reporting state like Florida or a lower-reporting one like South Dakota, the fundamentals of scam protection are the same.

Always slow down before agreeing to send money or share sensitive personal information, and try to verify contact independently. Above all else, though, report scam incidents. The more people that report an event, the sharper the picture for both consumers and agencies that are working to stop the next generation of scammers.

This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.