Fraud Education and Prevention Articles

What the Federal Trade Commission's 2025 Report Says About Fraud in Florida and Georgia

May 15, 2025

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Florida's recent ranking in a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report as the top state per capita for fraud and identity theft reports is how unsurprised Floridians are by the news.1 A headline in the Miami News Times read: "Duh: Study Shows South Florida Is No.1 for Fraud in the U.S.," followed by, "The data also shows that the entire state of Florida (shocker!) secured the top spot for fraud nationwide."2

Whether or not Floridian reporters were stunned by the FTC's 2025 Consumer Sentinel Network report, the numbers themselves are shocking. Floridians reported $866.1 million in fraud losses in 2024 and filed 115,840 identity theft incidents. 

Georgia, however, was not far behind, ranking second in both fraud and identity theft. Georgia and Florida were the only two states to report more than 2,000 cases of fraud each and more than 500 identity theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024. In Georgia, that added up to $291.3 million in reported fraud losses and 55,955 identity theft incidents. 

Yet why are Floridians and Georgians more at risk than residents in other states? Here's what the data says about fraud and identity theft in Florida and Georgia and what residents can do to protect themselves. 


The Fraud Data

Florida and Georgia share nearly identical rates of the top three FTC reporting categories: credit bureaus and information furnishers (35% of reports), identity theft (20%), and imposter scams (8% and 7%, respectively). The first two categories are closely related: Finding a fraudulent account on their credit report is how many identity theft victims realize they've been scammed. The credit report fraud and identity theft would be reported separately, but they might reflect a single incident.

Imposter scams were the most common fraud associated with major monetary losses in both states — and across the U.S. Less-common investment fraud deprived U.S. victims of more money total — $5.7 billion in 2024 — but those losses were spread over just 118,690 reports. Compare that to the $3 billion lost to imposter scams, which impacted 845,806 reporters. 

Financial losses in both states hit hardest via romance scams, government imposters and business imposters: 

Romance Scams

Business Imposters

Government Imposters

Florida3

$89 million

$54.88 million

$45.7 million

Georgia4

$25.25 million

$19.58 million

$25 million

Why Florida and Georgia Are Fraud Outliers

Spoiler alert: There's no single, definitive cause of the higher fraud rates in Florida and Georgia. But certain factors may contribute to the trends. 


Elderly Victims in Florida

No one will be surprised to learn that among the most populated states in the U.S., Florida has the largest percentage of people older than 65: Its nearly five million elderly residents make up 21.75% of the population.5 And while that might not seem like a relevant data point for a state with high rates of romance scams, experts disagree. 

Synovus footprint icon
Georgia and Florida were the only two states to report more than 2,000 cases of fraud and more than 500 identity theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024.

"Romance scams are a growing threat to Americans, particularly to the elderly and vulnerable," said Brian M. Boynton, head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Division, after the 2025 sentencing of a Florida woman found guilty of laundering $2.7 million in romance scam proceeds.6


Fraud in Georgia

Georgia's outsized number of fraud victims may be related to a notable amount of fraud perpetrators. The Georgia Cyber Crime Center (G3C) launched in 2021 to "combat the criminal movement of cyber fraud proceeds through banks in the Atlanta area."7,8 News reports include story after story after story after story of fraud-related criminal rings and gangs originating in Georgia.9,10,11,12


Severe Weather in Florida and Georgia

A local newscaster included in a recent Synovus article about extreme weather scams began her story with, "It's a story we've told you about many times…" before reporting on a Florida family who lost $30,000 to a scammer posing as a roofer after a hurricane.13 Sadly, when severe weather damages property, fraudsters tend to follow. And while Florida is a well-known extreme weather location, experiencing 94 disasters exceeding $1 billion in damage since 1980, Georgia has experienced 134 such events in the same time period — second only to Texas nationally.14,15 These frauds would fall under "business impersonation," a notably high category in both states.


How Floridians and Georgians Can Protect Themselves

Knowing that fraud is so common in Florida and Georgia can help residents stay on guard — any strange interaction could truly be a scammer. These additional tips can help people protect themselves against the most common frauds in their state:


Identity Theft

For more tips, read "5 Ways to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft."


Romance Scams

  • Look for common romance scam patterns, like fast-moving relationships, claims of living temporarily overseas, moving conversations to another app and canceling plans to meet in person.  
  • Watch for additional red flags, including a too-perfect profile photo or a drama-filled life story that includes inconsistencies.
  • Never share personal data with a dating partner you've never met. 
  • Never send money or anything of value to someone you've never met in person.

For more tips, read "Could You Fall in Love with a Fraudster? How to Spot Romance Scams."


Extreme Weather Fraud

  • Don't trust a home repair contractor who claims they don’t need to be licensed, offers a discount to sign a contract immediately, or asks the homeowner to sign over their insurance check.
  • After a weather event, don't give money to anyone claiming to be from a utility, or the government — or to anyone offering help accessing government aid. All government aid is free to access and apply for.
  • Be wary of online fundraising requests after storms.

For more tips, read "Preparing For Extreme Weather? Don't Forget Fraud Awareness."

Whether you're in Florida, Georgia, or anywhere else, being alert for fraud and cybercrime is a big step toward protecting yourself. As a reminder, Synovus will never call or reach out asking for sensitive information. If you find yourself in the middle of an interaction that feels suspicious, remember to stop, drop, and call to protect yourself from fraud:

  • Stop the conversation. Don’t respond to any requests for information.
  • Drop the call. Remain calm but end the call immediately.
  • Call your banker or Synovus Customer Care at 888-SYNOVUS (888-796-6887) to report the incident. Don’t rely on caller ID. Dial the number directly.

If you believe you've been a victim, find out how to report the incident, protect yourself from further harm, and seek help by reading "What to Do if You Are a Victim of Fraud."

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Important disclosure information

This content is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.

  1. Federal Trade Commission, "Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024," published March 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  2. Alex DeLuca, "Duh: Study Shows South Florida Is No.1 for Fraud in U.S.," Miami New Times, published March 18, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  3. Federal Trade Commission, "FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Fraud Report Subcategories Florida Consumers," Tableau Public, published March 7, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  4. Federal Trade Commission, "FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Fraud Report Subcategories Georgia Consumers," Tableau Public, published March 7, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  5. Consumer Affairs, "Population over 65 by state," published March 24, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  6. U.S. Department of Justice, "Florida Woman Sentenced for Laundering Millions of Dollars from Romance Scams," Archives, published January 7, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  7. Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Cyber Crime Center (G3C), accessed May 9, 2025. Back
  8. U.S. Department of Justice, "Local, state and federal prosecutors launch Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force", Press Releases, published February 22, 2021. Accessed May 7, 2025. Back
  9. U.S. Department of Justice, "Dozens sentenced for their roles in Atlanta-based fraud and money laundering operation that stole over $30 million from individuals and companies," Northern District of Georgia Press Releases, published June 2, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  10. U.S. Department of Justice, "Three individuals sentenced for roles in fraud and identity theft ring that stole over $6 million in government funds," Northern District of Georgia Press Releases, published January 12, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  11. Georgia Office of the Attorney General, "Carr: Two Convicted in Gwinnett County for Cyber Fraud Schemes Targeting Small Business, Government and Private Citizens," published September 11, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  12. U.S. Department of Justice, "Eight Alleged Members and Associates of the 'GoodFellas' Gang Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges," Northern District of Georgia Press Releases, published March 13, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  13. WINK News, "Naples family scammed $30K in hurricane repair fraud," published March 7, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  14. National Centers for Environmental Information, "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Florida Summary," published April 8, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back
  15. National Centers for Environmental Information, "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Georgia Summary," published April 8, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2025. Back