Tech Savvy Teens Scammed At An Increasingly Faster Rate Than Their Grandparents In Florida

It appears the tides are changing in the sea of scams. New statistics find those tech savvy teens are being scammed at a faster rate than their grandparents in Florida. According to Social Catfish, the amount of money lost by scam victims 20 and younger grew nearly 2500% from 2017 to 2022. During that same period the numbers grew 805% for seniors. That translates into a loss of $210 million for teens. That is a lot of allowance money.

However, seniors lost an estimated 3.1 billion dollars in 2022. They are still considered to be the most victimized segment of the population. Here is more unsettling news. Florida ranks number two in the nation as the most-scammed state. Social Catfish used data from the FBI, IC3 and FTC to come up with the statistics. They found in 2022 there were nearly 43,000 scam victims in The Sunshine State. Those victims were duped out of a whopping $6.9 billion. That is a lot of money.

The surge of young victims is said to evidence of the sophistication scammers are using. Here are some tips to avoid scams on social media. There are all kinds of fake accounts from scammers posing as an actual influencer. They often ask you to pay a fee for a prize or share your bank info so they can transfer money. Never send that kind of info to someone you don't know. Don't do it online or on the phone either.

Romance and sexting scams 

People steal photos of good looking people all of the time. They are used with the intent to get you to fall in love or lust, then send money. Do a reverse search on the person to confirm their identity. And don't send explicit photos to someone you've met on line. They could threaten to make them public if you don't pay them. It is called sextortion.

These are two big areas to use caution. Only purchase apps directly from the game's manufacturer. When shopping, inspect the website. Look for lots of typos. Next, look closely at the customer service email. If it is a yahoo, gmail, or similar account, consider it a red flag. Move on. Spread the word. Protect yourself from online scams.

If you are looking for love, we have your back with a few tips on avoiding Valentines Day romance scams in Florida, most catfished state in the country. The statistics actually put the Sunshine State at number  two on the catfish list. That's nothing to brag about. We are going to attempt to  save you some heartache.

"Catfished" is a term coined to describe deception at its worst. It is when a person creates a fake identity, usually on social media, with the intent of deceiving and scamming people he or she meets.  It's especially prevalent in the dating world. That leads us to Valentine's Day. This is the season where scammers really turn up the charm a notch, tugging at your heart strings and taking advantage of your vulnerability.

According to Social Catfish, Florida ranks number two in the amount of people scammed. California is number 1 and Texas is number three.  Next, there is the amount of money these victims have lost. Analyzing FBI and FTC data from 2022, they say more than 1,700 people in Florida were scammed out of money by catfishers. The average loss per person was $40,554. The worst part, these numbers only reflect the people who contacted the authorities.  It is believed that more than 1/2 billion dollars in the United States was lost to romance scams in 2021. The FTC puts that number at 1.3 billion over the past five years. That's a lot of money.

Are you suspicious of someone you've been chatting with online? You can try this site for searches and help. Here are some warning signs and what to do  if you are catfish suspicious. Let us help you avoid Valentines Day romance scams in Florida, most catfished state, with these tips.

Scammers still photos of extremely good looking people and create amazing stories in their profiles. The stories involve wealth, and all kinds of fairy tales.

How to Avoid: Perform a reverse image search to see if their picture matches their name. If the photo is used on many dating apps using different names, it is a scam.

You might have a GREAT online connection. However, to genuinely fall in love with someone, you really have to spend some time with them at some point. If your online person keeps coming up with excuses for not meeting in person, beware.

How to Avoid: Stop communicating with anyone who will not meet or video chat in a reasonable amount of time.

This is the biggest red flag. Someone who you've never met should not ask for money, regardless of the reason; medical, family, tickets to come see you.

How to Avoid: This one is simple and foolproof. Never give money, gift cards or bitcoin to anyone you meet online.