Florida residents lost more than $40 million to job fraud in 2025, making it the highest per-capita loss among U.S. states, according to a new analysis of FBI data.
According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, approximately 25,000 employment fraud complaints were recorded nationwide, with losses increasing 37% from the previous year.
Numbers:
Florida residents filed 2,096 employment fraud complaints in 2025, resulting in a combined loss of $40 million. This is more than double the $19 million lost in 2024.
This equates to $171,000 in job fraud losses per 100,000 residents, the highest rate of any U.S. state.
42% of job fraud complaints in Florida are related to cryptocurrencies, and scammers are increasingly using fake “remote work” tasks to drain victims’ crypto wallets.
The stakes are heightened this year in Florida. According to filed WARN notices, more than 6,100 Floridians have already lost their jobs in 2026, and Spirit Airlines’ sudden closure will put thousands more out of work, many of them in South Florida, where the airline is headquartered.
Matthew Stern, CEO of digital forensics firm CNC Intelligence, warns that mass unemployment is creating ideal conditions for fraudsters. Newly unemployed people are desperate to find work and are far more likely to engage with “recruiters” they would normally ignore.
Recruitment scams typically involve criminals posing as a recruiter or employer via email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, or Telegram to steal personal data, payment details, or trick victims into sending money for equipment, training, or the “investment” needed to unlock a salary.
Stern explains, “Real employers will never demand payment before you can start work or access your income. If you find yourself already involved in one of these schemes, cut off contact immediately and report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).”
Florida lost more than $40 million to job fraud last year, the highest per capita loss of any U.S. state. Losses have more than doubled year-on-year, with 42% of complaints related to cryptocurrencies.
