California is 18th, with 473,372 fraud reports, equating to 1,200.50 per 100,000 people, the highest total nationally. Designed by Freepik

CALIFORNIA (MPG) - A new study by moneyradar.org has identified the states with the highest rates of fraud reports in America.

The analysis used Federal Trade Commission data from Q3 2024 to Q2 2025 to reveal the total number of reports in each state before scaling them by population sizes to determine the ranking.

California's findings

California is 18th, with 473,372 fraud reports, equating to 1,200.50 per 100,000 people, the highest total nationally.

Its concentration of technology firms, financial institutions and online marketplaces creates multiple high-value targets for complex identity theft, payment fraud and investment scams.

A spokesperson from moneyradar.org commented on the findings, "Fraud remains a persistent issue across the US, with millions of incidents reported each year. Federal Trade Commission data shows 6.524 million fraud reports nationwide in 2024, with 1.559 million recorded in the final quarter alone, underlining how consistently widespread the problem has become.

"The findings also reveal clear geographic differences in fraud exposure. States in the Southeast appear disproportionately affected, with Georgia and Florida recording some of the highest per-capita reporting rates in the country, suggesting these areas may be more heavily targeted by certain types of scams.

"While risk levels vary by location, fraud can affect anyone, anywhere. People living in states with higher reporting rates should be particularly alert, but basic precautions apply nationwide: safeguard personal and financial information, review account activity regularly for unfamiliar changes, avoid interacting with unsolicited messages, and use updated security software to reduce the risk of falling victim to fraudulent activity." 

Methodology and sources

Fraud reports according to the Federal Trade Commission were gathered for Q3 and Q4 in 2024 and Q1 and Q2 in 2025. The reports were totaled and scaled by population sizes in each state to determine the ranking.

Expert commentary was provided from https://moneyradar.org/.