Scams, fraud and identity theft are common risks within the United States. But, some states have it worse than others. Unfortunately for residents of the Peach State, Georgia is the second worst state in the country for all three, and its older adults are losing the most per attack, according to a recent report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).

The Federal Trade Commission says each year in Georgia there are multiple thousands of cases of identity thefts reported.

“Identity theft is a major problem in Georgia,” The office of the attorney general’s consumer protection division said in a report. “In 2021, Georgians filed 50,441 identity theft complaints with the FTC, which is 158 complaints per 100,000 Georgia residents.”

Georgia is ranked second highest in the country for total reports of the various types of fraud per 100,000 people, with a median $600 loss per report. Nationwide, Americans are also being targeted by phishing attacks in record numbers.

For older adults who are worried about being targeted by scams, fraud and identity theft, Georgia’s office of the attorney general has issued a consumer protection guide, which can be found here.

AJC / GNN