The FBI recently released an annual report that revealed American citizens experienced a loss of $10.3 billion due to various internet scams in 2022. The report, which is published annually, shows that these losses are the highest in the past five years. The bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 2,000 complaints per day. The most commonly reported scams were phishing expeditions, which cost victims over $52 million, followed by data breaches and non-payment scams. Ransomware attacks are also a significant concern, with victims being threatened to pay a ransom or have their data published. The healthcare industry was the most targeted industry for ransomware attacks, followed by critical manufacturing and government. Call center scams, which are primarily based in India, caused over $1 billion in losses, with the elderly being the most common victims. The FBI has a 73% success rate in recovering lost funds for victims.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of an internet scam, the Department of Justice recommends contacting the appropriate investigative agencies as follows:
General Fraud and Other Criminal Matters :
Contact the FBI at (202) 324-3000, or online at www.fbi.gov or tips.fbi.gov.
Internet Fraud and Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud by Internet :
Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) online at www.ic3.gov.
Mail Fraud and Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud :
Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-800-372-8347, or online at postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
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