Online romance may begin with Panic! At The DiscoâsÂ
High Hopes, but according to a new FTCÂ Data Spotlight, all too often it ends with the conclusion that â to quote the J. Geils Band â
Love Stinks.
Far be it from us to put a damper on Valentineâs Day, but reports to the Consumer Sentinel Network suggest that the injury inflicted by romance scams is on the rise. According to the new Data Spotlight, âFor three years running, people have reported losing more money on romance scams than on any other fraud type identified in Sentinel. In 2020, reported losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million, up about 50% from 2019. For an individual, that meant a median dollar loss of $2,500.â
Identity theft made up 29% of Delaware’s reports overall, and included credit card, bank, loan, lease, phone or utilities fraud, along with other identity thefts, according to the FTC. Delaware was No. 12 nationally per capita in identity thefts.
The FTC said it received a total of 10,970 reports overall from consumers in Delaware in 2020.
“Scams are always a threat and seem to become more persistent and sophisticated each year,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
“Particularly in this time of uncertainty, we are working as hard as ever to disrupt them and to protect consumers.”
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Here is a roundup of the latest news concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to announcements from local, state, and federal governments, as well as international channels. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Courtesy of Bridge, as of Feb. 4
Here is a roundup of the latest news concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to announcements from local, state, and federal governments, as well as international channels. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
WASHINGTON, D.C. â The Federal Trade Commission received 8,257 fraud reports from consumers in Idaho in 2020, according to newly released data.
Idaho consumers reported losing a total of $10,032,295 to fraud, with a median loss of $295.
The FTCâs Consumer Sentinel Network is a database that receives reports directly from consumers, as well as from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Better Business Bureau, industry members, and non-profit organizations. This year, the FTC welcomed the data contributions of the FBIâs Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Twenty-five states now contribute to Sentinel. Reports from around the country about consumer protection issuesâincluding identity theft, fraud, and other categoriesâare a key resource for FTC investigations that stop illegal activities and, when possible, provide refunds to cons