Wyoming ranks 3rd per capita in losses to scammers, FBI reports

Scammers stole $43,502,744 from Wyoming victims in 2024, according to the latest  report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Those losses made  Wyoming the No. 3 state in the nation in terms of per capita losses. People filed 1,377  IC3 complaints in 2024.  

Reported losses in the state increased nearly $30 million over the 2023 dollar amount.  

The top schemes with the largest dollar amount losses in 2024 in Wyoming were data  breach ($21 million) and investment fraud ($13 million). 

The top schemes in terms of numbers of reports from Wyoming were extortion (193) and  personal data breach (89).  

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The age group that made the most reports was people 40-49 years old, with 479  complaints. The age group with the most reported losses was those 60 and older, with  $8,648,675. 

“This report is a sobering reminder that people in Wyoming remain prime targets for  scammers who will jump at every opportunity to defraud potential victims,” said Special  Agent in Charge Mark Michalek, who oversees FBI operations in the Cowboy State.  “It’s important for the public to remain vigilant to guard against ever-increasing cyber enabled threats both at places of employment and in personal life.” 

In 2024, the IC3 received 859,532 complaints nationally of suspected internet crime with  reported losses of $16.6 billion. That is a 33 percent increase in losses from 2023. 

These are only the reports made to IC3; not every victim files a complaint – or even  realizes he or she is a victim — so the actual numbers are probably higher in terms of  victims and losses. 

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Nationwide, the top three scams most frequently reported by victims were  phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches. Victims of investment fraud,  specifically those involving cryptocurrency, reported the most losses—totaling more than  $6.5 billion.  

Cryptocurrency investment fraud increased 29 percent over 2023. Ransomware  complaints were up 9 percent across the country 

As a group, people 60 and older suffered the most reported losses in 2024 at nearly $5  billion and submitted the greatest number of complaints. 

If you feel you have been a victim of a cyber-enabled crime, file a complaint here.

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Read the full IC3 report here.

Breakdowns by state are here.

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