We’re barreling into Labor Day weekend with some less-than uplifting Sunshine State statistics.
Travel and lifestyle guide LocalsInsider released a new study ranking Florida the No. 7 worst state for travel scam losses. The analysis says travel fraud costs the state $20.4 million annually.
That’s $90,351 in losses for every 100,000 residents.
The study used Federal Trade Commission data on vacation and travel fraud across the country to compare total losses, losses per capita and year-over-year changes.
Some of the scams people are falling for include fake booking websites, phishing texts, fraudulent vacation rentals and stolen airline miles.
Washington state took the top spot in the ranking, with $9.7 million in annual losses and a $124.4 million annual loss per 100,000 people.
An additional U.S. survey taken by LocalsInsider also found that:
- U.S. travel fraud losses have nearly tripled since 2021, rising from $99 million to $297 million
- One in three Americans are “more hesitant” to book vacations this year due to scams
- 22% of people surveyed admit they have clicked on travels ads or search results that turned out to be fake
- 60% of people surveyed say AI has made travel scams more convincing
