South Carolinians Report $100 million in Losses in Annual IC3 Report

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its annual 2022 Internet Crime Report and accompanying state reports, which show South Carolinians reported more than $100 million in losses to internet crimes last year.

The new report shows sharp increases from the 2021 report, which detailed $42 million in losses by South Carolinians. Seniors, those 60 and older, continue to be the target of cyber-related crimes, with reported losses of more than $35.6 million.

South Carolinians provided 7,861 reports to the IC3, which is an increase from 5,426 in 2021. In 2022, the IC3 received a total of 800,944 complaints. The full report, which encompasses data from victims in each state, American Territory, and the District of Columbia, shows $10.2 billion in total losses.

The top three schemes with the largest dollar amount losses in South Carolina were business email compromises ($46.8 million), investment fraud ($13.5 million), and real estate fraud ($12.4 million).

“This latest report shows us a troubling trend, not only in South Carolina, but across the country,” said Paul “Reid” Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We will continue to address these problems head-on through our law enforcement partnerships and through educating the public on ways they can better protect themselves and their money.”

The FBI encourages victims to file a complaint with the IC3 if they believe they have fallen victim to an internet crime.

To see the report in its entirety, along with the state reports, visit www.ic3.gov.