If you got through 2021 without being the victim of an online scam, consider yourself fortunate.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) latest annual report on internet crimes showed New Mexicans lost approximately $13 million to internet scams last year. While that figure is down from the estimated $24 million lost to internet scams in 2020, the primary victims continue to be elderly citizens, according to KRQE.
Last year, elderly New Mexicans made up the largest share of victims when considering all scam types. Approximately 671 victims over the age of 60 reported $5.6 million in losses in 2021, according to FBI figures.
Among the elderly, romance scams were particularly popular during the pandemic. “Romance scams are when you go online and you meet somebody in cyberspace who wants to develop a relationship with you,” Frank Fisher, public affairs officer for the Albuquerque division of the FBI, said to KRQE last year. “This can be as benign as just winning your confidence, to become your friend, so you can share things with that person.”
Worst-case scenarios occur when the perpetrators steal a victim’s personal information or money. Romance scams and similar deception where perpetrators take advantage of victims' trust cost New Mexicans approximately $2 million in 2021, KRQE said.
An even more profitable scam is business email compromises. The FBI reported that this accounted for $2.7 million in losses in 2021.
In these scams, emails are sent to target businesses, trick company employees, or get into the business’s computer system. The fraudster will then use that relationship with the employee to transfer funds from the business’s accounts, according to KRQE.
The FBI reported that California residents suffered the greatest total loss from internet scams in 2021. Californians lost more than $1.2 billion, KRQE reported. Texas had the next highest number, with $606 million in reported losses.