According to the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report, Wyoming reported $13.7 million in cybercrime losses last year, ranking it 49th in the nation for overall cybercrime costs.
Although Wyoming’s total losses were relatively low compared to other states, cybercrime remains a significant risk across the country, affecting millions and costing Americans more than $12.5 billion in 2023.
With widespread internet use and increasingly sophisticated scams, cybercrime is a growing threat that has impacted nearly one in three Americans through fraud, identity theft, and phishing schemes. Nationally, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record-breaking 880,000 complaints in 2023, with reported losses averaging over $14,000 per victim. The vast majority of these losses were due to scams that targeted individuals through phishing emails, cryptocurrency schemes, and impersonation fraud.
Wyoming’s 828 reported cybercrimes in 2023 translate to approximately 142 victims per million residents, with average losses of $16,602 per victim. This amounts to $24 lost per resident, placing Wyoming in the 30th spot nationally for per capita losses. While older Americans generally report the highest losses, younger populations are increasingly vulnerable to emerging scams like cryptocurrency fraud.
Wyoming’s relatively lower cybercrime rates reflect its smaller population and a lack of high-profile targets such as large government offices, major financial institutions, and tech hubs. In comparison, states like California and Nevada, and the District of Columbia, faced higher overall losses due to frequent attacks on institutions and the prevalence of cryptocurrency schemes. In California, for example, the state government has enacted preventative measures, such as limiting bitcoin ATM withdrawals, following a series of scams that leveraged the popularity of cryptocurrencies.
Wyoming News Now, CU Insight, and Stacker contributed to this report.
