Individuals in These 24 States Hold Falling For Romance Scams
Scamming is a pastime that’s as American as apple pie and baseball. From Enron to mortgage-backed securities and student loans, scams are inseparable from our nation’s story. Romance scams are as profitable an American industry as ever, and some states have proven to be piggy banks for smooth-talking scammers. Researchers identified the states where each victim lost the most money to romance scammers on average.
1. California: $72,239
Ever since the hippies came to San Francisco with flowers in their hair, much of America has viewed California residents (generally speaking) as idealistic, frequently naive free spirits. Californians are willing to fork over more state income tax than the vast majority of Americans, so why not cut the long-distance “boyfriend” a fat check, too?
2. North Dakota: $59,328
Have you seen how cold it gets in North Dakota? Some cities in North Dakotaregistered negative double digits in January 2024. Such bone-chilling cold plays tricks on your mind, and its isolating effects might compel you to give a silver-tongued scammer your PIN, too.
3. New Mexico: $57,001
New Mexico once (not so long ago) ranked as the fourth loneliest state in the country based on many data points. It tracks that romance scam victims lost, on average, $57,000 and change in 2022.
4. Wisconsin: $53,309
Wisconsinites don’t discriminate regarding the scams they’re willing to fall for.Wisconsin residents lost more than $23,000 per month to scams in 2021, proving there’s a fine line between Midwestern nice and Midwestern naivete.
5. Delaware: $46,065
Mandated lockdowns in 2020made Americans keenly aware of how lonely many of their countrymen feel on a day-to-day basis. You could say it made them Del-aware, but that would warrant a stint in pun prison for felony dad joke-telling. We will keep the cell warm for you.
6. Texas: $45,338
“Don’t mess with Texas” – No romance scammer ever.
Messing with Texas afforded romance scammers an average haul of $45,338 in 2022, almost enough to rent a studio apartment in Austin for two months. While Texans have a reputation as rough and tumble, fiercely independent realists, it’s clear they’re also suckers for love.
7. Virginia: $44,937
Virginia’s Attorney General warns potential scam victims that “if it’s too good to be true, it almost certainly is.” This includes the hunk with washboard abdominals requesting money for a flight directly to you. That hunk is too good to be true.
8. Connecticut: $44,851
While victims in Connecticut lost an average of more than $44,000 to romance scammers in 2022, that’s just a drop in the bucket for the state’s pool of marks.Connecticut is also a hotbed for IRS impersonators, disaster profiteers, and Medicare-related schemes.
9. Maryland: $44,680
Many Americans feel that a specific district within the geographical confines of Maryland is built on scamming, and you can guess which district that is. The scamming culture extends to greater Maryland, as romance scam victims in the state lost more than $44,000 on average in 2022.
10. Washington: $44.168
The rainy confines of the Pacific Northwest are a recipe for loneliness, with the state’s older residents being at a heightened risk of social isolation. Savvy scammers know how to pick their victims, and they do well when targeting hopeless romantics in Washington.
11. Idaho: $44,153
In the eyes of romance scammers, Idahoans are like defenseless potatoes waiting to be plucked from the vine. Though transplants from the West Coast have flocked to Idaho in droves, it remains one of the least populous states. With so few neighbors, can you blame victims in Idaho for turning to the internet in search of love?
12. Arkansas: $42,814
In a state that serves as the headquarters for Walmart, romance scam victims certainly aren’t paying Rollback prices to the predators preying on their loneliness. Dropping nearly $43,000 on a catfishing fraudster seems unfathomable to most, but we do crazy things for love.
13. North Carolina: $42,752
They call North Carolina the Tar Heel State, but perhaps they should rename it the Vaseline Hand State. Gullible residents can’t seem to hold onto their money when there are hot, morally corrupt scammers in the vicinity.
14. Ohio: $40,757
Authorities have warned Ohioans of scams that liken Ohio-based targets to pigs.Scammers “fatten up” the pig with liberally applied praise and flattery (metaphorical lipstick), only to pitch the victim a fraudulent “investment opportunity.” Considering Ohio’s reputation for handing over a year’s salary to scammers, we can’t blame the financial leeches for running their hustles.
15. New York: $40,720
If one population is on high alert for scams, it is New York. Yet, with a population of more than 8.3 million, there will inevitably be some lonely victims willing to part with money if it could mean landing a partner.
16. New Jersey: $39, 481
Tony Soprano’s home state has no shortage of residents with a Masters in The Art of the Rip-Off. TheNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs warns about imposter scams wreaking havoc on residents’ bank accounts. These imposter scams include fraudsters pretending to be the long-lost soulmate who just needs several thousand dollars to purchase your engagement ring—they’ll pay you back, they swear.
17. Colorado: $38,970
If you are going to try to convince someone to give you thousands of dollars for reasons that are difficult to articulate, why not start in a state where much of the population has ingested a mind-altering substance?
18. Arizona: $37,374
The more research you do, the more you find Attorney Generals in every American state warning the population about scammers coming for their hard-earned money. What good is a PSA, though? We know scammers exist; they’re just really darn convincing! And good looking!
Despite Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’swarnings, residents of the Grand Canyon State fell for Internet Casanova…again.
19. Oklahoma: $36,944
You can’t spell Oklahoma without “Hola!,” which is coincidentally how many romance scammers start their emails to unsuspecting victims. The term “Okie” used to be a pejorative used to describe Oklahomans as bumpkins. We don’t use such hurtful terms, but it would be better for the state’s reputation if residents would stop saying “okie dokie” when romance scammers ask for multi-thousand-dollar wire transfers.
20. Indiana: $36,735
The Indiana State Policeadvise Hoosiers to protect themselves from IRS-related scams but don’t give any tips about protecting themselves from romance scams. We have a tip, though. Just give up on love. You’re scam-proof now.
21. New Hampshire: $36,529
New Hampshire’s motto is “Live Free or Die,” not “Live Free and Die Alone.” We can’t fault even the most fiercely independent New Hampshirite for wanting to find a partner. Unfortunately, we also can’t credit their bank account for the more than $36,000 the average romance scam victim loses.
22. Michigan: $36,491
Romance scams are a glaring omission in the list of scams Michiganauthorities caution residents to avoid. Even if law enforcement agencies had warned Michiganders about scammers floating promises of love and fidelity, the heart wants what it wants. For some, the heart wants to give more than $36,000 to a malicious stranger posing as Prince (or Princess) Charming.
23. Florida: $36,236
Florida has a long history of shady land dealsthat continues to this day. In addition to selling swampland as waterfront property, Florida-focused scammers are selling pipe dreams of wedded bliss to the tune of $36,236 per victim.
24. Illinois: $35,137
Corruption lies at the heart of Illinois’ crown jewel, Chicago. While fixing elections and profiting off one’s influence is the traditional Chicago style, romance scams are officially en vogue. One Chicago resident lost $80,000 after thinking she was in a relationship with a network television star.The scammer said he needed money because he was in the middle of a contractual dispute, and she bought it! She actually gave him $80,000!
We are compassionate to a degree, but come on now. Where did common sense go?
Have a look at these other posts:
Where US President Biden stands on key guarantees
How to Make Money from Home || concepts to generate profits || artistic methods to earn cash
Don’t let cross-border cost obstacles break your buyer expertise
How to Effectively Place Motion Sensors in Your Home
Dancing with the Stars' Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Are Married
How the apps that deliver issues to your door have created jobs
Chase Credit Card Spending Is Down forty%
Redmi Note N Pro vs Realme S: More worth than you possibly can shake a stick at
Why tech expertise shall be obligatory for the monetary providers sector in a publish-coronavirus wo...
Breakout Box Office Hit: Pro-Life Film 'Unplanned' Edges Out 'Captain Marvel' In...
sixteen Things You Shouldn’t Ask Hotel Staff
10 Things You Should Know About Chivas Regal
