PEOPLE ARE LOSING MORE MONEY TO SCAMMERS THAN EVER BEFORE. HERE'S HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE

With the help of technology, scammers are tricking Americans out of more money than ever before. But there are steps you can take to keep your money and information safe.

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In 2022, reported consumer losses to fraud totaled $8.8 billion — a 30 percent increase from 2021, according to the most recent data from the Federal Trade Commission. The biggest losses were to investment scams, including cryptocurrency schemes, which cost people more than $3.8 billion, double the amount in 2021.

Younger adults ages 20-29 reported losing money more often than older adults ages 70-79, the FTC found. But when older adults did lose money, they lost more. Many retirees have assets like savings, pensions, life insurance policies or property for scammers to target.