Smart Safety - Cybercrime State Stats

 New research has revealed the states where residents are most likely to fall victim to cybercrime.

The study by Click Intelligence analyzed 2024 data from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to determine which states had the highest number of cybercrime complaints per 100,000 residents, along with the financial impact of these crimes per victim. Cybercrime complaints are complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center in regards to any criminal activity that involves a computer, computer network, or digital device, where data or money is stolen, or harm is caused. Examples may include credit card fraud, government impersonation scams, personal data breaches, phishing, and cryptocurrency scams.

Top 10 States Most Vulnerable to Cybercrime

Rank	State	Complaints per 100,000 people	Losses per victim	Total losses
1	Alaska	915	$3,884	$26,296,803
2	Indiana	342	$5,287	$125,093,323
3	Nevada	328	$25,081	$268,769,310
4	Delaware	267	$13,404	$37,611,598
5	Arizona	265	$19,523	$392,441,717
6	Colorado	249	$16,401	$243,517,403
7	California	244	$26,376	$2,539,041,635
8	Maryland	239	$15,936	$238,976,904
9	Wyoming	234	$31,592	$43,502,744
10	Washington	226	$20,446	$368,203,209

Alaska stands far above other states with 915 complaints per 100,000 residents, which is a rate nearly three times higher than second-ranked Indiana, which reported 342 complaints per 100,000 people. Nevada follows closely in third position with 328 complaints per 100,000 residents.

Delaware and Arizona round out the top five most targeted states with 267 and 265 complaints per 100,000 residents, respectively.

While Wyoming ranks ninth in the list for the number of complaints, its residents suffer the highest average losses at $31,592 per victim.

Mississippi has the lowest cybercrime rate in the country, with just 104 complaints per 100,000 residents, followed by North Dakota at 111 and Nebraska at 130.

James Owen, co-founder of Click Intelligence, commented on the findings: "These results highlight how serious the cybercrime threat has become across the United States. The FBI reported over 859,000 internet crime complaints in 2024, with total losses surpassing $16 billion, a nearly $4 billion jump from the year before. Alaska’s rate of 915 complaints per 100,000 residents is especially notable against that fact, showing that smaller or more remote states are not immune to digital risks. Even in states with fewer reports, like Wyoming, where victims lost an average of $31,592 each, the financial damage can still be devastating."

Post courtesy: https://insights.clickintelligence.com

Methodology:

• Data was gathered from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2024 Report, which provides state-by-state information on cybercrime complaints and financial losses.
• Population figures were used to calculate the number of complaints per 100,000 residents in each state to determine relative risk levels.
• Total financial losses and average losses per victim were also analyzed to provide a comprehensive picture of cybercrime impact across the United States.

Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center - https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2024_IC3Report.pdf