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More than $27M lost to fraud, identity theft in West Virginia in 2024

A recent scam letter sent to a resident in Wood County told the target victim they owed back taxes, penalties and interest. The notice was forwarded to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Consumers in West Virginia lost more than $27 million in 2024 to scams, according to statistics released by the Federal Trade Commission.

Residents reported 8,767 cases of fraud last year, accounting for losses of $27,018,38, according to the agency’s Consumer Sentinel Network that released the numbers last week. The network tracks and compiles reports of fraud from consumers, business watchdogs such as the Better Business Bureau, law enforcement and other sources.

The median loss was $341 in West Virginia, which ranked 47th among states in fraud reports.

Ohio ranked 26th with 63,176 reports representing losses of $226,198,386. Median losses were $351 per report.

No. 1 was Florida where the ratio of reports to population was 2,163 per 100,000 people. The ratio was 836 per 100,000 in West Virginia.

Identity theft was a bulk of the reports.

In West Virginia, consumers reported 343 cases of identity theft involving bank accounts, 610 involving credit cards, 193 involving employment and taxes, 123 involving government documents or benefits, 225 involving loans or leases, 183 involving phones and 627 in other categories.

In Ohio it was 3,418 involving bank accounts, 10,311 involving credit cards; 1,369 involving employment and taxes; 2,867 involving government documents or benefits; 4,414 involving loans or leases; 2,115 involving phones; and 8,401 in other categories.

The 2024 numbers for West Virginia were fewer than in 2023 when 9,204 fraud reports were tracked by the FTC. Ohio posted fewer in 2023 when 61,303 reports were made.

While reports were less in 2024, total losses in West Virginia in 2023 were $23,320,882. Losses were also less in 2023 in Ohio, $154,121,565.

“We get these reports all the time,” said Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard.

Scammers often send official-looking documents that say they owe money to a government agency, such as for failing to report for jury duty or paying taxes, Woodyard said.

“It’s amazing how sophisticated they’ve gotten,” he said.

The sheriff’s department just last week issued an alert of a scam where a resident received an official-looking document from the county tax office informing them they may be under investigation by the Federal Tax Authorities and owed over $75,000 in taxes, interest and penalties. Further action was threatened for non-payment.

“They make them look official,” Woodyard said.

No government agency or law enforcement office will ask someone to send money, a good tip-off of a scam, Woodyard said. A claim that a prize will be awarded provided money is sent first is another obvious tip of a scam, he said.

“People have to be hyper-vigilant,” he said

Intelligent people are fooled, too, Woodyard said.

“I’m shocked at the number of people who fall for that stuff,” he said.

Woodyard himself was the target of a scammer who called and said if he didn’t send money that was due, the S.W.A.T. team would be sent to get him. Woodyard at the time was on the team.

“I told him I was in charge of the S.W.A.T. team,” Woodyard said. “He hung up on me.”

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