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Texans lost over $1 billion to internet scams last year, ranking second behind California in cases reported to the FBI and tracking with population size.

The big picture: Americans lost over $12.5 billion to cybercriminals in 2023, according to new FBI data.

Investment fraud was the costliest cybercrime reported nationally, jumping 28% since 2022.

Americans also lost roughly $1.3 billion in 2023 to scammers pretending to be from the government or tech support, the FBI says.

Data: FBI Internet Crime Report 2023; Chart: Axios Visuals

How it works: Scammers pretend to be a government official, tech support agent or customer service representative to trick people into sending money or other sensitive information.

The impersonators typically call with fake stories that motivate someone to share their private identifiable details.

For example, a scammer might call to say someone will lose their Medicare benefits if they don't pay a new fee. Or they might claim there's a virus on their computer that requires the victim to buy a special tool.

Zoom in: The FBI received 47,305 complaints from Texans last year.

In January, the Dallas County sheriff's department warned residents of callers trying to collect money under the guise of outstanding warrants or missed jury duty.

"The Dallas County Sheriff's Department and Dallas County Jury Services will NOT ever call, text, or email you … Just hang up when they contact you," the sheriff's department said.

The intrigue: Impersonation scams have evolved from cold-calling telemarketing scams to online operations to lure people in.

Fake job offers are among the most prolific and fastest-growing scams in the U.S., with some scammers reaching out to people about freelance opportunities over text.

Reality check: People of all ages are susceptible to scams — not just the elderly. Only 40% of people who fell for tech support scams were reported to be over 60, according to the FBI.

Plus: Government organizations are susceptible.

Last fall, Dallas County accidentally paid $2.4 million to scammers who used a fake business email address to impersonate a county contractor.

The bottom line: The FBI data is based only on the cases reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Many victims won't call the police after a scam or cyberattack due to shame over falling for a ruse or fear of retaliation, but the FBI encourages reporting.

Texans lost over $1 billion to internet scams in 2023

The state ranked second behind California in cases reported to the FBI.

Illustration of a computer wearing a bandit's mask. 

Cyber crime

Texans lost over $1 billion to internet <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="scams" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/12/government-tech-support-scams-fbi" data-vars-content-id="43b4a366-ec44-4ec1-ba25-cb8efe16c359" data-vars-headline="Texans lost over $1 billion to internet scams in 2023" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/12/government-tech-support-scams-fbi" target="_self">scams</a> last year, ranking second behind California in cases reported to the FBI and tracking with population size.The big picture: Americans lost over $12.5 billion to cybercriminals in 2023, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new FBI data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ic3.gov/media/pdf/annualreport/2023_ic3report.pdf" data-vars-content-id="43b4a366-ec44-4ec1-ba25-cb8efe16c359" data-vars-headline="Texans lost over $1 billion to internet scams in 2023" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/pdf/annualreport/2023_ic3report.pdf" target="_blank">new FBI data</a>.

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