DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware consumers made the second highest rate of fraud complaints in the nation per capita in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The Delaware State News reports that the information was included in the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network database, which placed Delaware behind only Nevada in highest frequency of fraud complaints.
Delaware residents reported losing $9.1 million to scams last year in 6,651 reports, with a median loss of $400 and average of roughly $1,372 per report.
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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