A new report shows that Florida is facing a fraud epidemic.
A new report from the Federal Trade Commission ranks Florida as the number one state for fraud, with reported losses totaling $866 million last year.
As for South Florida, it’s at the center of it all, leading the country with over 171,000 fraud reports.
Among the schemes that resulted in the greatest financial losses to victims were job and real estate scams, as well as the tricks involving fake love interests.
Those romance scams turn out to be the most lucrative, costing Floridians $89 million last year alone.
One of those cases involved a woman from Miramar who helped launder almost $3 million in romance scam money. She was sentenced in January to 30 months in prison.
READ MORE: Have you received a text about an overdue toll bill? It's probably a scam, FTC says
This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.
