Colorado Is The 9th Worst State For Cyber Crimes: Study

COLORADO -- A recent study found that the Rocky Mountain State is a money-maker for online thieves. Colorado is apparently the ninth worst state in the country when it comes to reported cyber crimes, fraud and identity theft, according to a study by software application company, OpenVPN.

In 2016, 46,795 people of the Rocky Mountain State lost money due to cyber crimes. Plus, Internet crime cost people of this state $30,893,224 total—averaging $4,511.94 per person. Men took the hardest hit and so did adults 50–59.

Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving where retailers often offer deals online, saw a 40 percent increase in "malicious attacks against consumers," the study said. American consumers typically spend more than $3 billion on Cyber Mondays.

Cyber crimes have increased as online shopping has grown. "Ecommerce is growing 23 percent year-over-year, and a whopping 80 percent percent of Americans with an internet connection have made an online purchase in the last month," OpenVPN said.

So, how can you stay safe from online scammers? A report by consumeraffairs.com says to "avoid making online purchases using a wireless connection" and to "never click on a link in an email."

In addition, be sure to only use one credit card for online purchases that way only one account will be compromised if you become a victim and beware of offers that may sound too good to be true, the article wrote.

--Photo via Pixabay