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Florida lost $2.7 million to vacation and travel scams at the start of this year

Common red flags include offers that seem too good to be true, claims you’ve won a ‘free trip’, or fake listings for vacation rentals

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A new analysis of fraud data found that Florida residents affected by vacation and travel scams lost 3% less than the average American. 

Investment experts at crypto exchange ChicksX studied data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reveal how many residents have fallen victim to vacation and travel fraud in Q1 of 2025, and how this compares to the national average. 

Nationally, there were 7,938 cases of vacation and travel scams reported across the U.S. between January and March this year, resulting in a total loss of $29,941,934. This equates to a per-report loss of $3,757. 

Florida residents saw $2,724,988 stolen across 745 cases - equating to a per-report loss of $3,658. This is a modest 3% below the national average ($3,757 stolen per case). 

Florida Figures: Vacation and Travel Scams (Q1 2025)

Number of Reports

Total Sum Lost

Average Loss per Report

Comparison to National Average ($3,757 per Report)

745

$2,724,988

$3,658

3% below

With travel and vacation fraud likely to spike this August as scammers look to take advantage of peak travel season, Al Alof, CEO of ChicksX, issued a warning: 

“With August being one of the busiest travel months of the year, we expect to see an increase in scammers targeting travelers. It’s vital to identify which states are at an elevated risk and where these types of scams can have the biggest financial impact, as it’s clear that more education is needed to prevent residents from falling victim. 

“If you’re offered a vacation deal that feels too good to be true - like a luxury resort for $100 a night or a free trip that you never entered to win - it’s probably a scam. It’s essential to always double-check flight, hotel, and vacation package listings, avoid sketchy payment methods, and don’t let last-minute impulsive booking cloud your judgment.”

National Data: Most At-Risk States

Oregon sees the highest average loss associated with vacation and travel scams at $12,554, with a total of $1,255,387 stolen across 100 cases in the state in Q1. 

Second is New Mexico. The state reported 50 cases of vacation and travel fraud at the start of this year, with a total loss of $498,378 - or $9,968 per case. Arizona placed third with an average of $8,004 stolen across 157 cases.

Fourth is Idaho, with a total loss of $246,850 across 34 vacation and travel scam reports - equivalent to $7,260 per case. Rounding out the top five most-affected states is Alaska, with an average of $7,226 stolen per attack. 

State Ranking: Vacation and Travel Scams (Q1 2025)

 

State

Number of Reports

Total Sum Lost

Average Loss per Report

1

Oregon

100

$1,255,387

$12,554

2

New Mexico

50

$498,378

$9,968

3

Arizona

157

$1,256,597

$8,004

4

Idaho

34

$246,850

$7,260

5

Alaska

23

$166,206

$7,226

6

Arkansas

44

$315,967

$7,181

7

Washington

200

$1,364,330

$6,822

8

Virginia

213

$1,263,608

$5,932

9

North Carolina

241

$1,339,108

$5,556

10

Hawaii

33

$173,565

$5,260

At the other end of the scale is North Dakota. The state saw just nine reports of vacation and travel scams, resulting in a total loss of $2,792 - or just $310 per case. 

Methodology: Data was gathered from the Federal Trade Commission’s Fraud Report Subcategories page, covering January to March 2025 (the latest available figures). URL: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/FraudReports/StateSubcategories 

Full state ranking 

 

State

Number of Reports

Total Sum Lost

Average Loss per Report

1

Oregon

100

$1,255,387

$12,554

2

New Mexico

50

$498,378

$9,968

3

Arizona

157

$1,256,597

$8,004

4

Idaho

34

$246,850

$7,260

5

Alaska

23

$166,206

$7,226

6

Arkansas

44

$315,967

$7,181

7

Washington

200

$1,364,330

$6,822

8

Virginia

213

$1,263,608

$5,932

9

North Carolina

241

$1,339,108

$5,556

10

Hawaii

33

$173,565

$5,260

11

Michigan

224

$1,060,064

$4,732

12

Louisiana

63

$296,096

$4,700

13

California

950

$4,127,766

$4,345

14

South Carolina

132

$568,857

$4,310

15

New Hampshire

48

$203,906

$4,248

16

Connecticut

93

$394,850

$4,246

17

Pennsylvania

254

$977,104

$3,847

18

Florida

745

$2,724,988

$3,658

19

Massachusetts

185

$675,671

$3,652

20

Utah

84

$300,222

$3,574

21

Georgia

265

$902,415

$3,405

22

Kentucky

98

$331,010

$3,378

23

Kansas

52

$168,733

$3,245

24

Wisconsin

141

$452,826

$3,212

25

Alabama

99

$315,278

$3,185

26

Vermont

15

$46,683

$3,112

27

New York

523

$1,595,220

$3,050

28

Texas

572

$1,697,929

$2,968

29

West Virginia

28

$82,480

$2,946

30

Nevada

88

$257,864

$2,930

31

Indiana

137

$399,040

$2,913

32

Oklahoma

80

$230,658

$2,883

33

Maryland

174

$480,835

$2,763

34

Nebraska

26

$70,836

$2,724

35

Missouri

178

$479,208

$2,692

36

Tennessee

145

$381,623

$2,632

37

Wyoming

8

$21,037

$2,630

38

Colorado

156

$403,592

$2,587

39

Ohio

261

$651,931

$2,498

40

Montana

29

$65,590

$2,262

41

Illinois

387

$822,688

$2,126

42

Delaware

29

$56,185

$1,937

43

Minnesota

126

$229,518

$1,822

44

New Jersey

240

$369,042

$1,538

45

Rhode Island

30

$43,927

$1,464

46

Iowa

61

$82,087

$1,346

47

Mississippi

56

$61,972

$1,107

48

Maine

31

$20,458

$660

49

South Dakota

21

$8,957

$427

50

North Dakota

9

$2,792

$310

Florida Travel Scams, Vacation Scam Statistics, FTC Fraud Data, Travel Scam Losses, Florida Vacation Fraud, Vacation Scam Prevention, Peak Travel Scam Warning, U.S. Travel Scam Rankings

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