A new report says that Pennsylvania residents are losing close to $3 billion annually to online fraud, on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
In 2024, Pennsylvanians reported about $400 million in losses to online scams, but a new report says that number could actually be closer to $3 billion—with a B.
The report, released today by the Consumer Federation of America, estimates Americans across the country lose at least $119 billion annually to internet-based scams and cybercrimes, a figure more than seven times higher than the $16.6 billion reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2024.
The drastic difference in numbers stems largely from underreporting. Studies mentioned in the report indicate only about 14% of victims report financial fraud incidents to authorities.
Pennsylvania impact
In Pennsylvania, residents reported about $400 million in scam-related losses in 2024, according to data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. But after accounting for underreporting, the report estimates the true losses may be about $2.9 billion annually, or about $220 per resident.
That places Pennsylvania eighth nationwide in total estimated losses, behind larger states such as California, Texas, Florida and New York.
Meta is the main source of scams
Surveys from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and the Better Business Bureau found that most scam reports originate on social media, with platforms that offer direct messaging functions used in 81% of scam attempts in the US.
Among the most frequently used platforms for these scams were Meta services, specifically Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The report also found that 57% of people who reported scams saw no action taken by the platform after filing complaints. Elected leaders are responsible for holding tech platforms accountable for the harms they cause using legislation at the state and federal level.
Most costly scams
According to the report, the most costly scams were:
- Investment scams: $46.6 billion in losses
- Email-targeting scams: $19.7 billion
- Tech support scams: $10.4 billion
- Nonpayment or delivery scams: $5.6 billion
- Romance scams: $4.7 billion
- Government impersonation scams: $2.9 billion
New technology such as AI and advanced data targeting are making scams more convincing and enabling criminals to reach victims at a massive scale.
