2022 brought record profits for scammers: FBI

Mar 15, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

The FBI said scammers were able to make record profits off of Americans last year. Americans were out more than $10 billion dollars, the most successful scammers have been since the FBI started tracking the data.

More than 800,000 scams, or more than 2,000 per day, were reported last year. Total losses were up from $6.9 billion in 2021 to $10.3 billion in 2022. About a third of those losses came from the pockets of seniors 60 and older in the U.S.

The number one way scammers claimed their victims was through so-called phishing expeditions. These unfold when a victim receives unsolicited emails, phone calls or texts of someone pretending to be someone else requesting the victim’s financial information.

300,000 phishing scams were reported, accounting for more than one third of all reported scams.

Investment scams more than doubled year-over-year. Cryptocurrency investment fraud nearly tripled from $907 million in losses to $2.5 billion.

An FBI spokesperson said the rise in scams is cause for greater concern.

“Today’s cyber landscape has provided ample opportunities for criminals and adversaries to target U.S. networks, attack our critical infrastructure, hold our money and data for ransom, facilitate large-scale fraud schemes, and threaten our national security,” FBI Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan said.

Tags: consumer scams, Cryptocurrency, FBI, Fraud, scams

KARAH RUCKER: SCAMMERS WERE ABLE TO MAKE RECORD-PROFIT OFF OF AMERICANS LAST YEAR. AMERICANS WERE OUT MORE THAN 10 BILLION DOLLARS.

THAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SCAMMERS HAVE BEEN SINCE THE FBI STARTING TRACKING THE DATA.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS – THERE WERE MORE THAN 800 THOUSAND SCAMS REPORTED LAST YEAR. THAT’S MORE THAN 2 THOUSAND A DAY.

TOTAL LOSSES WERE UP FROM 6.9 BILLION IN 2021 TO 10.3 BILLION IN 2022. ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THAT CAME FROM THE POCKETS OF SENIORS 60 AND OLDER IN THE U.S.

THE NUMBER OF WAY SCAMMERS CLAIMED THEIR VICTIMS WAS THROUGH SO-CALLING PHISHING EXPEDITIONS. THAT’S WHEN YOU RECEIVE UNSOLICITED EMAILS, PHONE CALLS OR TEXTS, OF SOMEONE PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE ELSE REQUESTING YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

THERE WERE 300 THOUSAND PHISHING SCAMS REPORTED – ACCOUNTING FOR MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF ALL REPORTED SCAMS.

INVESTMENT SCAMS MORE THAN DOUBLED YEAR-OVER-YEAR. CRYPTOCURRENCY INVESTMENT FRAUD NEARLY TRIPLED – FROM 907 MILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES TO 2.5 BILLION.

ON RELEASE OF THE NEW DATA – AN FBI SPOKESPERSON SAID THE RISE IN SCAMS IS CAUSE FOR GREATER CONCERN. QUOTE: “TODAY’S CYBER LANDSCAPE HAS PROVIDED AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIMINALS AND ADVERSARIES TO TARGET U.S. NETWORKS, ATTACK OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, HOLD OUR MONEY AND DATA FOR RANSOM, FACILITATE LARGE-SCALE FRAUD SCHEMES, AND THREATEN OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.”