Most Scammed States: See How Gullible MD Residents Are

MARYLAND — Have you or a loved one fallen prey to a scam artist who stole your information? You aren't alone.

Fraud in the form of online scams, text-message phishing, AI deepfakes, and other deceptive methods cost Maryland residents millions of dollars in the first four months of 2023, according to a recent study by Forbes Advisor.

A Forbes Advisor list of the “10 Most Scammed States In America” includes Maryland, as the study found criminals are stealing much more money from residents of some states than others.

Data in the study comes from the Federal Trade Commission, which reported that Americans lost $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022 — “a staggering amount that was up more than 30 percent from the previous year,” said study author Natalie Campisi.

Maryland was seventh on the list overall, with 9,239 fraud reports and a reported median loss of $580 per victim. Fraud cost Free State residents a reported total of $34.7 million in the first quarter of 2023, the study found.

Forbes gave Maryland an index ranking of 87.31 out of 100.

Forbes Advisor analyzed data from the FTC for the first quarter of 2023, and scored states based on four weighted factors: Fraud reports per 100,000 residents, the total number of fraud reports, the median loss from fraud, and the total loss from fraud.

Each state got an index ranking of 100, and California came in first with a "perfect" 100.

New scams 'popping up all the time'

Scammers are using technology to come up with new ways to try and trick people out of their information or money – and using old standbys, too, as Forbes noted. The scammers can pose as potential romantic partners, law enforcement officials, banks and stores to catch people off guard and rip them off, Forbes added.

"Typically, scammers prey on your fears—saying your account has been hacked, for instance," Campisi said. "They might also use the 'ticking time bomb' approach to get you to act fast, before you have a chance to think. Before you know it, you’re clicking on a misleading link and giving over sensitive information."

Some other takeaways from the Forbes Advisor study:

• Imposter scams are the most common fraud type, followed by online shopping and negative reviews.
• Nationwide, Americans between the ages of 60 to 69 are most susceptible to fraud scams, experiencing fraud losses of $234 million in the first quarter of 2023.
• Credit cards remained a common method used for fraudulent activity, while bank transfers and payments accounted for the largest overall loss of all fraud payment types – $407.1 million during the first quarter of 2023 alone.

See the full list of the states most affected by financial scams in the table below, or click here:

Tips on how to identify fraud

Fraud is often disguised so well "that it’s usually too late by the time you realize you’ve been duped," Campisi wrote in the study.

As mentioned above, scam artists have developed new ways to scare or pressure someone out of their information and money. And, you can't always trust caller ID - as scammers can spoof it to make it look as if the call is coming from someone you know, or even from a law enforcement agency.

"One familiar scenario is getting a phishing email from a bank imposter," Campisi said. "Some fraudulent emails look so authentic it’s nearly impossible to distinguish them from an actual bank email."

Clicking on links, addresses, emails, or even phone numbers from suspicious messages could lead to your information being stolen, experts said.

Forbes advises people not to respond to any email, phone call, or letter without first contacting the source of the message "using a verified channel."

Here are some more tips from Forbes to safeguard yourself from fraud:

1. Be suspicious of all incoming calls, emails, and other communication

2. Don't trust caller ID

3. Don't be tempted by prizes or free cash

4. Block unwanted calls and text messages

5. Don't let yourself be scared into acting.