These US states are at the lowest risk of cybercrime

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report for 2022, Mississippi has the lowest rate of cybercrime among all US states. The state had around 69 cybercrime victims per 100,000 people last year. Nevada is at the highest risk of cybercrime in the country with around 300 victims per 100,000 people.

An analysis of the FBI data by WindowsReport.com showed that there were 2,043 cybercrime victims in Mississippi last year. When accounted for the state’s total population, the number breaks down to less than 70 victims per 100,000 residents. On average, each victim in the state lost about $13,810 to cybercrime in 2022. The total losses clocked in at $28,213,583.

Following Mississippi with the second-lowest cybercrime rate is Kansas. The state recorded 2,399 victims in 2022, which breaks down to around 82 people out of every 100,000 residents. Those 2,400-odd people cumulatively lost a whopping $58,149,297 to cybercrime. That’s an average loss of $24,239 per victim, over $1,000 more than what people in Mississippi lost on average.

With around 92 victims per 100,000 people, North Dakota is third on the list of US states with the lowest rate of cybercrime. The average loss of $20,312 is still relatively high, though. Louisiana (93), Iowa (94), Kentucky (95), and Arkansas (96) are the only other states with fewer than 100 cybercrime victims per 100,000 residents last year. The average amount lost per victim in these states ranged between $12,000 and $16,000.

Alabama recorded an average loss of more than $50,000 per cybercrime victim in 2022

Cybercrime victims in Alabama, meanwhile, suffered massive losses in 2022. The FBI’s data shows that the state had 4,893 victims last year, which is 100 people out of every 100,000 (or one out of every 1,000). The combined losses of those unfortunate Alabama residents clocked in at $247,930,058. That’s a loss of a staggering $50,670 for each victim. The 9,090 cybercrime victims in Nevada lost $14,006 on average, totaling $127,315,394 combined losses across the state.

“Cybercrime is becoming one of the most common cases of fraud nowadays,” said a spokesperson for the publication commenting on the findings from the FBI report. “Doing things like keeping up to date on data breaches, using strong passwords, not trusting unsolicited emails or messages, and using an effective antivirus software can all keep you well protected in the current climate.”

Verizon recently issued a warning to its subscribers about smashing attacks. These attacks use SMS texts to trick unsuspecting people into giving away confidential information such as their full name, address, banking details, passwords, or social security numbers. Always remember that your bank or government agencies will never ask you for sensitive information and never transfer any money to people you don’t know.