Georgia is No. 1 state for financial fraud rates, study says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - People from all over the nation have experienced financial fraud — but the scam is most common in Georgia, a new study found.

With 437 incidents per 100,000 people, financial fraud happens more in Georgia than in any other state, a study by Forbes Advisor said. The organization examined Federal Trade Commission data from all 50 states to see who was getting scammed where in the first quarter of 2023, which runs from Jan. 1 to March 31.

“From sophisticated AI deepfakes to phishing attacks cloaked in emails and text messages, criminals from all over the world are constantly concocting a variety of ways to steal information and money,” the study said.

On Forbes Advisor’s “Top 10 Most Financially Scammed States in the U.S. in 2023″ list, Georgia ranks No. 5. The list takes several numbers into , including the prevalence of fraud reports, the number of fraud reports, median fraud loss and total fraud loss.

Georgians have lost $33.4 million in nearly 14,000 incidents so far this year, the study said. The median loss is $600.

Nationally, Americans lost $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022 — 30% more than in 2021. The most common scheme is imposter scams, where the scammers pretend to be somebody else to get money.

At $234 million, people in their 60s have lost the most money from scams, the study said. But younger people weren’t immune. People in their 20s have lost $97 million in 2023, while those in their 30s lost $197 million.

In Atlanta and across the country, scammers have gotten creative. In July, a Cherokee County family was shaken after an AI voice scam phone call.

The caller sounded just like Debbie Moore’s 22-year-old daughter crying and repeating “Mom!” Then a man told Moore that her daughter had been kidnapped and demanded a $50,000 ransom. But when Moore’s husband called the daughter, she picked up the phone safe and sound, they said.

RELATED: Artificial intelligence phone call scam scares family

Also in July, the Better Business Bureau warned about QR code scams. Fake QR code stickers had been placed over many valid QR codes for payment in Midtown parking garages, funneling funds straight to scammers.

RELATED: Scam Alert: Fake QR codes popping up at parking lots in West Midtown

And in August, a recent Georgia State University graduate fell victim to a job scam. Scammers pretending to be from a real company interviewed her and offered her a job. Then they emptied her bank when she signed up for direct deposits, she said.

“Triple-check everything,” she told Atlanta News First. “And follow your gut.”

RELATED: She thought she was getting a job. Turns out she got robbed

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