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New data shows who thieves are targeting, how much has been taken

More than 140,000 complaints have been filed with the FTC nationally since March

DETROIT – New numbers paint a disturbing picture of who is being targeted, and how much thieves are stealing.

There have been 2,736 complaints filed in Michigan with the Federal Trade Commission since March -- a 117% increase since the beginning of the pandemic.

There’s been $2.66 million in losses, averaging about $248 per victim.

California, Florida and New York have filed the most complaints.

Nationally, 144,727 complaints have been filed with the FTC since March, with $93 million total in loses.

The most common scams include price gouging, undelivered goods, free groceries scams, identity theft, email and text scams and robocall scams.

RELATED: New COVID-19 scams to watch out for

If you have been contacted by someone impersonating a government official, file a complaint with the FTC on its official website or by calling 877-FTC-Help.


About the Authors
Hank Winchester headshot

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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