Internet Scams Cost Consumers $240M

The number of reported Internet scams was down last year in comparison to past years, but the dollar amount lost was up by $40 million, to a new high of $240 million, according to a government report that used data gathered from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Other statistics from the report indicate an increase in ploys that involved pets, check cashing, and online dating.

Furthermore, the amount lost by males was on average higher than females, and the overall amount lost increased with age.