Ohioans lost over $156M to scams, fraud in 2023. What to know, how to protect yourself
Ohioans lost a sizable chunk of money in scams and fraud last year, according to a new study.
LendingTree reported that Ohioans lost $156.5 million in scams in 2023, including $125.7 million in the first nine months of the year.. U.S. consumers in total lost $7 billion because of scams just in the first nine months of 2023. This was the biggest loss since 2019, but the numbers could surpass 2019’s year-end losses of $9 billion.
“For fraudsters, it’s a golden age,” said Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief credit analyst. “Very little about our lives isn’t digitized and accessible online. That means most of our important private data, including bank information, is more vulnerable than ever in a lot of ways.”
In all, Georgia residents filed 85,056 fraud reports in 2023. That’s 722 fraud reports per 100,000 residents.
How can Ohioans protect themselves from falling victim to scams and fraud? Here are some tips from the experts.
How to protect yourself from scams and fraud
LendingTree suggests the following:
Get a password manager. It’ll help update and secure your passwords.
Check your online statements regularly. Staying informed will give you the best chance of stopping fraudulent activity as soon as it starts, which may make it easier to catch the perpetrator — or at least get your money back.
Do sweat the small stuff. If you see a charge you don’t recognize, call your bank immediately — even if it seems like no big deal.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation says:
Do not open email from people you don’t know.
Be careful with links and new website addresses. Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats. Keep yourself up to date on current scams. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) can provide you with Alerts.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices.
The FDIC also reported several trending scams to know about:
Money mules scams: If a stranger asks you to open a bank account, or asks for access to your bank account or debit card, be extremely guarded. A scammer may ask you to move money and direct you to deposit funds into your bank account, or ask you to purchase virtual currency or gift cards for someone else’s benefit.
Online Dating scams: people on online dating sites asking for money.
Imposter scams: Someone pretending to be someone you know or trust in order to get money from you.
Mortgage or foreclosure scams: Watch out for scammers pretending to be lenders, loan servicers or financial counselors.
Ransomware or cyber threats.
Have you been scammed before? Let us know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published March 10, 2024 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Ohioans lost over $156M to scams, fraud in 2023. What to know, how to protect yourself."
