Written By: Security.org Team | Published: June 28, 2021

Statistics about violent crimes, like robbery and murder, and property crimes, like theft and arson, are well-covered across the media landscape. But there’s another type of crime that can be devastating — cybercrime.

Data on crimes like identity theft, fraud, phishing, and other cybercrimes is less well-known than other crimes. But reports from multiple federal sources indicate that these incidents are on the rise and surged during the pandemic.

For example, cybercrime losses reported to the FBI’s internet crime center in 2020 surpassed $4 billion, while incidents rose 69 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, identity theft and fraud complaints to the Federal Trade Commission also climbed. This includes one specific type – government benefit ID theft – that exploded by almost 3,000 percent. This increase was likely connected to programs aimed to reduce the economic impact of the pandemic, such as expanded unemployment insurance.

FYI: There are steps you can take to reduce your risk of falling victim to these types of cybercrime. Read our Guide to Personal Digital Security & Online Safety for actionable advice on securing your online data.

Key Findings

  • Cybercrime, ID theft, and fraud complaints all hit five-year highs in 2020.
  • Fraud and identity theft complaints up 45%, while cybercrime is up almost 70%

Computer Devices

  • ID theft related to government benefits exploded in 2020, but other types of ID theft climbed as well, including tax (225 percent) and business loan (127 percent).
  • Cybercrime related to compromised email accounts, including business accounts, was the costliest on average, at more than $90,000 per incident.

Want to see data and rankings for your state? Click here.

Hand iconTable of Contents

Password iconNational Rates of Cybercrime, Fraud & Identity Theft

Individuals and organizations struck by cybercrime and other modern theft tools have a couple of avenues for recourse, including law enforcement and non-law enforcement. Our analysis covers data the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported as well as data the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network reported. It’s important to note that the FTC is not a law enforcement agency, though in many cases, the agency does refer incidents to the FBI and state and local police agencies.

The upshot of that is that our analysis, while it includes robust publicly available data, almost certainly underestimates cybercrime. Many people who are defrauded by phishing scams, ID theft, and other types of cybercrime feel ashamed and don’t want to go through the hassle of reporting what happened to them. The FBI estimates that only about 15 percent of cybercrime gets reported.

What we do know is that 2020 marked a huge increase in cybercrime and fraud, due largely to the pandemic. But even before COVID-19, complaints to both IC3 and the FTC were on the rise. Complaints to both agencies saw a huge uptick in 2020 (69 percent for IC3 and 45 percent for the FTC), but each had seen at least three straight years of increases before that.

Did You Know: Since the pandemic, the trend of increasing cybercrime has only increased. Although the number of complaints to the IC3 remained relatively steady since 2020, the damage caused by cybercrime continues to grow year after year. In 2021, the IC3 reported nearly $7 billion in damages with 2022 seeing over $10 billion in damages.

IC3 and FTC complaints by year

Of the 30-plus categories of cybercrime for which the FBI reported data, phishing and related scams were by far the most common in 2020. These types of incidents accounted for almost one in three cybercrimes reported to the FBI.

However, while they’re incredibly common, phishing attacks are less lucrative for scammers on average than some other types of cybercrime. In fact, the average phishing scam generated only $225 compared to nearly $100,000 for attacks that compromised a business email account.

These data points clearly show that cybercriminals pursue scams that are worth the time. Phishing attacks are really easy for criminals to run. They can easily send out an email to thousands or even millions of potential victims. But, the success rate is pretty low. Compromising a business email account, on the other hand, takes a significant amount of effort from a criminal. So, they only pursue business email accounts that could offer them a serious reward.

You can use this information by recognizing that you don’t need to make your data impossible to get. Instead, you only need to make it too difficult for it to be worth the time of a scammer.

>> Read More: The Complete Guide to Accessibility and Digital Security

Cybercrime category by average value, 2020

As phishing scams have become more common, rising nearly twelve-fold since 2016, they have actually become less valuable. The average phishing scam in 2016 managed to defraud its victim of more than $1,600. But while phishing scams have risen by an eye-popping percentage, tech support-related cybercrimes have seen the biggest surge over the past half-decade. They rose from just under 300 in 2016 to more than 15,000 in 2020.

Complaints made to the FTC over fraud, identity theft, and other consumer complaints neared five million in 2020, jumping by more than 40 percent over 2020 and rising by more than half over the past half-decade. ID theft accounted for about 29 percent of all complaints to the FTC in 2020, while the 25-plus categories of consumer fraud accounted for nearly half of reports to the agency.

In 2020, about 15 percent of ID theft cases reported to the FTC included more than one type, and all but one ID theft category saw numbers of cases rise during the pandemic, led by government benefit ID theft reports, which climbed by nearly 3,000 percent. Several others saw huge increases as well, including tax (225 percent), business loan (127 percent), and new bank accounts (87 percent). The only type of ID theft to become less common during the pandemic was ID theft for the purpose of evading the law.

How do people fall victim to cybercriminals, fraudsters, and others? The FTC’s 2020 report found that phone calls were the most common vector among fraud incidents where consumers reported the contact method. Text messages were the second most common, while online advertisements were the least likely way for fraudsters to procure their victims.

FTC fraud reports by contact method, number and median loss

In data from both the FBI and FTC, older people account for a large percentage of those who fall victim to cybercrimes. People over 60 accounted for about 23 percent of cybercrime victims whose age was known, and they accounted for 29 percent of fraud complainants to the FTC’s database. However, they accounted for only about 15 percent of ID theft victims.

Average cybercrime and fraud loss by age group

ID iconState Rates of Cybercrime, Fraud & Identity Theft

No state gets great marks when it comes to cybercrime, fraud, and identity theft, though rates and average losses vary pretty dramatically. Still, there are a handful of states that have consistently high rates of cybercrime.

Colorado fared worst overall, appearing in the top 10 for per-capita cybercrime rates and average losses, per-capita fraud reports, and per-capita identity theft reports. The state was also in the top 15 for median loss due to fraud and recent changes in overall fraud reports and government benefit-related fraud reports. Several other states have consistently high rates of cybercrimes and related statistics, including Alaska, California, D.C., Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and Virginia.

On the other hand, several states tend to have lower-than-average cybercrime rates, including Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, and Nebraska. Let’s take a closer look at the top and bottom states in a handful of statistical categories before diving into each state’s cybercrime status.

Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population
Average cybercrime loss per victim
Fraud reports per 100,000 people
Median fraud loss per victim
digital security in america
ID thefts per 100,000 people
Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020
Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020

alert icon Where Does Your State Stand?

Check out the cybercrime, fraud, and identity theft statistics in your state:

Click on each state
Alabama Kentucky North Dakota
Alaska Louisiana Ohio
Arizona Maine Oklahoma
Arkansas Maryland Oregon
California Massachusetts Pennsylvania
Colorado Michigan Rhode Island
Connecticut Minnesota South Carolina
Delaware Mississippi South Dakota
District of Columbia Missouri Tennessee
Florida Montana Texas
Georgia Nebraska Utah
Hawaii Nevada Vermont
Idaho New Hampshire Virginia
Illinois New Jersey Washington
Indiana New Mexico West Virginia
Iowa New York Wisconsin
Kansas North Carolina Wyoming

Cybercrime in Alabama

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 118, #42
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,747, #33
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 446, #44
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $280, #32
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 836, #16
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 17%, #49
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 474%, #38

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 194 $851 1%
20-29 724 $2,645 7%
30-39 887 $1,568 5%
40-49 907 $5,601 18%
50-59 848 $5,349 16%
60+ 1,040 $7,561 29%

Cybercrime in Alaska

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 283, #4
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $3,542, #44
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 578, #11
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $500, #1
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 734, #30
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 51%, #1
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 653%, #28

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 66 $1,165 1%
20-29 214 $2,336 7%
30-39 192 $5,946 16%
40-49 240 $4,081 13%
50-59 469 $1,920 12%
60+ 563 $4,550 35%

Cybercrime in Arizona

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 179, #11
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,545, #25
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 581, #10
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $374, #10
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 869, #11
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 27%, #37
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 2,263%, #12

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 412 $5,217 3%
20-29 1,371 $2,775 5%
30-39 1,869 $4,410 11%
40-49 1,800 $7,738 19%
50-59 1,794 $4,656 12%
60+ 3,053 $8,856 37%

Cybercrime in Arkansas

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 140, #28
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,100, #43
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 404, #47
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $296, #26
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 813, #20
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 19%, #47
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 4,232%, #7

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 104 $758 0%
20-29 335 $1,564 3%
30-39 511 $8,235 24%
40-49 1,557 $1,626 15%
50-59 478 $11,088 31%
60+ 636 $5,499 20%

Cybercrime in California

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 176, #13
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,936, #6
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 513, #25
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $407, #3
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 807, #21
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #29
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 337%, #45

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 2,261 $3,474 1%
20-29 9,082 $3,780 6%
30-39 11,120 $8,226 15%
40-49 11,736 $6,896 13%
50-59 9,530 $13,247 20%
60+ 12,534 $12,178 25%

Cybercrime in Colorado

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 214, #9
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,167, #10
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 615, #8
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $360, #12
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 874, #9
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 34%, #14
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 3,797%, #8

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 284 $2,994 1%
20-29 1,116 $2,200 2%
30-39 1,555 $11,485 18%
40-49 1,544 $12,479 19%
50-59 1,521 $13,076 20%
60+ 4,335 $4,810 21%

Cybercrime in Connecticut

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 158, #21
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $7,330, #15
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 524, #19
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $286, #29
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 797, #23
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 31%, #21
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 578%, #29

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 171 $1,823 1%
20-29 561 $2,958 4%
30-39 700 $3,276 6%
40-49 1,097 $4,565 12%
50-59 768 $20,388 38%
60+ 1,057 $10,071 26%

Cybercrime in Delaware

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 229, #7
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,909, #45
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 683, #3
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $400, #4
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,127, #3
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #24
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 435%, #41

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 71 $767 1%
20-29 279 $1,804 8%
30-39 244 $1,569 6%
40-49 223 $3,486 12%
50-59 204 $5,377 17%
60+ 371 $6,135 35%

Cybercrime in District of Columbia

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 302, #2
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,885, #7
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 802, #1
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $399, #7
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,329, #1
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 24%, #41
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 242%, #50

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 50 $26,103 7%
20-29 242 $3,718 5%
30-39 328 $4,076 7%
40-49 253 $12,734 17%
50-59 244 $9,927 13%
60+ 252 $20,384 27%

Cybercrime in Florida

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 250, #5
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,485, #27
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 615, #9
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $384, #8
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,123, #4
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 35%, #10
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 208%, #51

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 6,614 $769 2%
20-29 4,760 $2,489 4%
30-39 7,168 $4,784 12%
40-49 8,204 $7,318 20%
50-59 8,983 $5,235 16%
60+ 9,252 $9,149 29%

Cybercrime in Georgia

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 126, #34
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $7,369, #14
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 524, #17
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $300, #20
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,011, #6
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 37%, #8
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 304%, #46

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 438 $3,726 2%
20-29 1,464 $2,283 3%
30-39 2,066 $6,892 14%
40-49 1,949 $8,442 17%
50-59 1,844 $10,931 20%
60+ 2,145 $12,028 26%

Cybercrime in Hawaii

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 140, #29
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $6,912, #18
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 520, #21
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $370, #11
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 707, #34
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 50%, #2
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 3,316%, #10

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 53 $15,637 6%
20-29 182 $1,646 2%
30-39 280 $1,813 4%
40-49 255 $5,516 10%
50-59 307 $7,235 16%
60+ 452 $12,027 40%

Cybercrime in Idaho

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 124, #38
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,283, #29
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 462, #40
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $295, #27
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 635, #45
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 21%, #45
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 896%, #26

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 110 $5,325 5%
20-29 253 $1,167 3%
30-39 336 $4,127 12%
40-49 296 $6,321 16%
50-59 295 $1,997 5%
60+ 550 $8,364 39%

Cybercrime in Illinois

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 159, #19
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $7,456, #12
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 487, #34
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $285, #30
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 806, #22
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 33%, #16
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 10,801%, #3

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 498 $3,188 1%
20-29 1,907 $2,624 3%
30-39 2,325 $9,257 14%
40-49 3,038 $3,797 8%
50-59 3,993 $10,647 28%
60+ 4,227 $7,604 21%

Cybercrime in Indiana

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 190, #10
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,751, #47
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 454, #43
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $240, #43
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 660, #42
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #26
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 2,020%, #14

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 255 $969 1%
20-29 861 $1,216 3%
30-39 5,034 $454 6%
40-49 2,183 $3,951 25%
50-59 1,197 $4,182 14%
60+ 1,519 $6,616 29%

Cybercrime in Iowa

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 297, #3
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,284, #50
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 394, #49
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $250, #39
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 524, #49
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 13%, #51
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 528%, #33

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 125 $814 0%
20-29 6,954 $58 2%
30-39 406 $1,884 4%
40-49 397 $5,663 11%
50-59 373 $12,274 21%
60+ 570 $7,168 19%

Cybercrime in Kansas

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 119, #41
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,542, #26
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 478, #35
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $250, #39
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 729, #32
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 23%, #42
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 33,236%, #1

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 107 $2,163 1%
20-29 352 $2,542 5%
30-39 487 $3,213 8%
40-49 526 $8,679 24%
50-59 546 $3,357 10%
60+ 728 $10,048 38%

Cybercrime in Kentucky

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 153, #24
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $1,848, #51
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 466, #38
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $210, #50
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 658, #43
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 27%, #36
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 442%, #40

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 184 $1,949 3%
20-29 511 $1,012 4%
30-39 697 $3,343 19%
40-49 744 $2,542 15%
50-59 600 $4,481 21%
60+ 782 $5,187 32%

Cybercrime in Louisiana

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 109, #47
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,263, #30
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 404, #48
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $300, #20
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 732, #31
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 30%, #23
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 460%, #39

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 118 $13,147 6%
20-29 557 $1,257 3%
30-39 836 $3,070 10%
40-49 791 $4,356 13%
50-59 889 $11,173 37%
60+ 855 $6,850 22%

Cybercrime in Maine

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 124, #37
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,230, #39
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 464, #39
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $211, #49
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 639, #44
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 23%, #43
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 6,053%, #6

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 47 $6,345 4%
20-29 163 $482 1%
30-39 248 $2,799 10%
40-49 211 $3,349 10%
50-59 263 $6,814 25%
60+ 368 $6,717 35%

Cybercrime in Maryland

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 245, #6
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,220, #40
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 665, #4
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $329, #15
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,044, #5
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 42%, #6
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 528%, #34

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 323 $5,373 3%
20-29 1,104 $2,268 4%
30-39 1,469 $3,439 8%
40-49 1,458 $8,262 19%
50-59 1,636 $8,152 21%
60+ 2,067 $10,246 34%

Cybercrime in Massachusetts

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 166, #15
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,509 , #9
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 494, #31
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $275, #33
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 771, #25
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 28%, #31
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 9,996%, #4

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 323 $3,914 1%
20-29 1,281 $2,466 3%
30-39 1,424 $6,935 10%
40-49 1,748 $8,618 15%
50-59 1,847 $9,660 18%
60+ 2,309 $8,855 21%

Cybercrime in Michigan

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 125, #35
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $6,709, #19
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 497, #29
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $250, #39
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 714, #33
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 36%, #9
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,134%, #23

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 420 $4,132 2%
20-29 1,375 $1,579 3%
30-39 1,716 $15,038 31%
40-49 1,815 $4,705 10%
50-59 1,928 $7,395 17%
60+ 2,499 $7,541 22%

Cybercrime in Minnesota

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 121, #39
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,521, #8
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 505, #27
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $300, #20
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 691, #37
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 30%, #22
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,198%, #18

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 218 $1,333 0%
20-29 719 $1,518 2%
30-39 965 $3,849 6%
40-49 1,010 $5,396 9%
50-59 1,063 $6,004 11%
60+ 1,542 $10,201 27%

Cybercrime in Mississippi

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 83, #51
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $7,309, #16
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 408, #46
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $213, #48
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 662, #41
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 27%, #34
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 510%, #36

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 67 $483 0%
20-29 293 $1,746 3%
30-39 437 $4,697 11%
40-49 452 $3,867 10%
50-59 332 $2,484 5%
60+ 461 $4,802 12%

Cybercrime in Missouri

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 133, #32
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $14,205, #2
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 516, #23
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $236, #44
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 790, #24
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 27%, #35
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 476%, #37

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 195 $16,433 3%
20-29 753 $3,716 2%
30-39 1,427 $2,611 3%
40-49 1,171 $59,268 60%
50-59 1,104 $7,473 7%
60+ 1,578 $10,289 14%

Cybercrime in Montana

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 128, #33
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,153, #41
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 513, #26
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $299, #24
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 668, #39
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 19%, #48
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 2,215%, #13

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 41 $656 0%
20-29 140 $1,705 4%
30-39 160 $1,256 4%
40-49 194 $1,206 4%
50-59 178 $1,586 5%
60+ 335 $12,334 73%

Cybercrime in Nebraska

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 112, #46
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,448, #28
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 455, #41
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $263, #36
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 603, #47
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 28%, #32
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 576%, #30

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 65 $761 0%
20-29 249 $1,064 2%
30-39 319 $3,526 10%
40-49 364 $2,027 6%
50-59 311 $3,812 10%
60+ 404 $10,021 34%

Cybercrime in Nevada

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 523, #1
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,755, #46
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 685, #2
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $400, #4
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 1,154, #2
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 26%, #38
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 3,607%, #9

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 356 $1,267 1%
20-29 1,258 $1,619 5%
30-39 1,938 $2,342 10%
40-49 3,556 $1,551 12%
50-59 3,742 $3,501 30%
60+ 2,767 $4,185 26%

Cybercrime in New Hampshire

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 148, #25
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,456, #49
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 534, #15
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $231, #45
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 742, #29
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 22%, #44
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,194%, #20

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 45 $1,508 1%
20-29 205 $848 4%
30-39 239 $1,524 7%
40-49 309 $3,412 21%
50-59 366 $2,626 19%
60+ 543 $3,172 35%

Cybercrime in New Jersey

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 167, #14
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $6,658, #20
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 524, #18
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $320, #17
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 883, #8
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 35%, #12
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,140%, #21

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 584 $1,453 1%
20-29 1,523 $3,145 5%
30-39 1,973 $5,034 10%
40-49 1,984 $5,909 12%
50-59 3,497 $5,756 20%
60+ 2,671 $10,298 28%

Cybercrime in New Mexico

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 163, #16
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $6,975, #17
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 562, #12
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $420, #2
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 758, #27
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 42%, #7
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 519%, #35

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 100 $1,621 1%
20-29 287 $901 1%
30-39 376 $7,067 11%
40-49 432 $4,251 8%
50-59 428 $8,336 15%
60+ 837 $8,516 30%

Cybercrime in New York

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 177, #12
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $12,051, #4
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 539, #13
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $306, #19
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 872, #10
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 31%, #20
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,120%, #24

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 957 $5,061 1%
20-29 4,301 $5,130 5%
30-39 4,925 $7,123 8%
40-49 4,020 $14,734 14%
50-59 4,225 $13,721 14%
60+ 6,021 $9,187 13%

Cybercrime in North Carolina

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 117, #43
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,679, #22
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 518, #22
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $285, #30
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 816, #18
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 28%, #33
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 301%, #47

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 435 $727 0%
20-29 1,516 $1,519 3%
30-39 1,681 $3,666 9%
40-49 1,826 $6,474 17%
50-59 1,892 $6,191 17%
60+ 2,472 $11,268 40%

Cybercrime in North Dakota

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 100, #49
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $33,954, #1
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 348, #50
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $381, #9
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 460, #50
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #28
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 3,026%, #11

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 19 $14,957 1%
20-29 85 $1,518 1%
30-39 127 $4,519 2%
40-49 125 $169,784 82%
50-59 139 $4,142 2%
60+ 104 $9,700 4%

Cybercrime in Ohio

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 115, #44
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $12,680, #3
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 498, #28
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $230, #46
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 760, #26
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 25%, #39
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,198%, #19

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 378 $1,286 0%
20-29 1,347 $2,581 2%
30-39 1,883 $4,049 4%
40-49 2,185 $3,681 5%
50-59 1,843 $61,079 66%
60+ 2,711 $7,078 11%

Cybercrime in Oklahoma

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 121, #40
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,336, #37
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 410, #45
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $269, #35
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 600, #48
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 25%, #40
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,624%, #15

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 164 $510 0%
20-29 537 $1,735 4%
30-39 822 $2,192 9%
40-49 833 $3,703 15%
50-59 749 $6,758 24%
60+ 897 $8,487 37%

Cybercrime in Oregon

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 162, #17
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,631, #23
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 615, #7
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $300, #20
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 815, #19
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 20%, #46
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 572%, #31

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 236 $20,842 13%
20-29 629 $1,867 3%
30-39 976 $1,461 4%
40-49 982 $6,200 16%
50-59 970 $4,942 12%
60+ 1,775 $7,221 33%

Cybercrime in Pennsylvania

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 146, #26
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,822, #21
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 538, #14
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $261, #37
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 869, #11
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 31%, #19
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 539%, #32

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 472 $2,998 1%
20-29 1,859 $2,636 5%
30-39 2,377 $4,138 9%
40-49 3,436 $5,513 17%
50-59 2,557 $6,992 16%
60+ 3,543 $6,586 22%

Cybercrime in Rhode Island

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 158, #20
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,573, #35
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 490, #33
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $229, #47
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 755, #28
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 33%, #17
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 16,129%, #2

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 45 $8,479 5%
20-29 181 $813 2%
30-39 245 $1,546 5%
40-49 251 $3,792 12%
50-59 260 $9,602 33%
60+ 323 $8,647 36%

Cybercrime in South Carolina

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 114, #45
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,313, #38
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 515, #24
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $294, #28
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 851, #15
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 35%, #11
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 344%, #44

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 183 $854 1%
20-29 741 $2,802 8%
30-39 817 $2,670 9%
40-49 843 $4,491 15%
50-59 957 $3,950 15%
60+ 1,350 $7,398 40%

Cybercrime in South Dakota

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 88, #50
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,129, #42
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 338, #51
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $252, #38
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 459, #51
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #27
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 277%, #48

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 28 $1,283 1%
20-29 102 $2,864 9%
30-39 104 $2,894 9%
40-49 93 $4,901 14%
50-59 142 $3,002 13%
60+ 169 $8,266 44%

Cybercrime in Tennessee

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 125, #36
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,713, #34
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 522, #20
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $270, #34
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 866, #13
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #30
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 252%, #49

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 222 $1,516 1%
20-29 1,010 $1,738 4%
30-39 1,116 $2,847 8%
40-49 1,218 $3,084 9%
50-59 1,717 $6,326 27%
60+ 1,881 $5,766 27%

Cybercrime in Texas

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 133, #31
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $8,115, #11
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 469, #37
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $350, #13
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 822, #17
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 34%, #13
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 828%, #27

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 1,327 $4,191 2%
20-29 4,645 $3,510 5%
30-39 5,947 $10,283 20%
40-49 6,643 $7,965 17%
50-59 5,021 $12,348 20%
60+ 6,342 $11,000 22%

Cybercrime in Utah

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 154, #23
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $9,564, #5
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 492, #32
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $322, #16
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 707, #34
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 42%, #5
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 362%, #43

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 279 $1,976 1%
20-29 735 $1,774 3%
30-39 737 $5,346 8%
40-49 771 $7,182 12%
50-59 609 $10,236 13%
60+ 893 $26,487 50%

Cybercrime in Vermont

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 137, #30
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,878, #32
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 528, #16
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $298, #25
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 696, #36
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 50%, #3
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,617%, #16

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 20 $323 0%
20-29 90 $875 2%
30-39 103 $1,159 3%
40-49 117 $2,331 7%
50-59 136 $5,856 19%
60+ 235 $6,935 39%

Cybercrime in Virginia

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 161, #18
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $7,383, #13
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 620, #6
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $340, #14
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 928, #7
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 44%, #4
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 394%, #42

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 477 $3,442 2%
20-29 1,559 $8,472 13%
30-39 2,003 $3,536 7%
40-49 1,996 $8,493 17%
50-59 2,092 $7,795 16%
60+ 2,779 $8,937 24%

Cybercrime in Washington

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 226, #8
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,109, #31
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 622, #5
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $400, #4
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 857, #14
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 31%, #18
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 8,729%, #5

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 444 $2,041 1%
20-29 1,523 $2,241 4%
30-39 2,120 $3,642 9%
40-49 2,193 $7,012 17%
50-59 2,271 $6,034 16%
60+ 3,301 $8,041 30%

Cybercrime in West Virginia

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 106, #48
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $2,536, #48
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 472, #36
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $205, #51
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 667, #40
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 15%, #50
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,241%, #17

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 55 $3,965 5%
20-29 213 $1,538 7%
30-39 276 $1,200 7%
40-49 288 $2,114 13%
50-59 290 $3,581 22%
60+ 403 $3,680 31%

Cybercrime in Wisconsin

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 143, #27
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $4,343, #36
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 494, #30
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $249, #42
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 674, #38
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 29%, #25
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 933%, #25

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 291 $2,895 2%
20-29 722 $1,441 3%
30-39 935 $2,786 7%
40-49 995 $6,137 17%
50-59 2,544 $2,040 14%
60+ 1,226 $8,342 28%

Cybercrime in Wyoming

  • Cybercrime victims per 100,000 population (2020): 158, #22
  • Average cybercrime loss per victim (2020): $5,582, #24
  • Fraud reports per 100,000 people (2020): 455, #42
  • Median fraud loss (2020): $312, #18
  • ID theft per 100,000 people (2020): 619, #46
  • Percentage change in fraud reports, 2019-2020: 34%, #15
  • Percentage change in government benefit ID theft, 2019-2020: 1,136%, #22

Cybercrime victims and losses by age group

Age group Victims Average loss % of all losses
<20 21 $2,626 1%
20-29 91 $1,816 3%
30-39 120 $1,190 3%
40-49 144 $6,954 20%
50-59 139 $2,869 8%
60+ 174 $17,847 61%

deadly file icon Conclusion

If you lock the doors and windows of your house but leave your digital presence unguarded, you really aren’t taking your security all that seriously. With cybercrime, ID theft, and fraud of many types rising even before the pandemic, these statistics should serve as a wake-up call to be more cautious with your online and digital presence.

data icon About This Data

The FBI’s IC3 branch reports annual cybercrime statistics, and we consulted 2020 as well as several previous years. You can find the most recent data here.

FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network data comes from a variety of sources, including fraud hotlines and websites the FTC maintains, other federal agencies, including the FBI and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), private entities like Microsoft and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and state law enforcement agencies.

About 59 percent of the reports included in the 2020 installment came from FTC-maintained systems, the BBB accounted for about 16 percent, and the CFPB added about 11 percent. The other organizations accounted for a combined 14 percent.

You can access the most recent report here, and explore the agency’s data dashboard here.