By
- Katherine Rodriguez | NJ.com
The internet has never made it easier to book flights and hotels, as well as find vacation deals online
However, it has also made it easier for scammers to target travelers
From fake booking websites and rentals to phishing texts and stolen airline miles, travelers are running into scams before they leave their homes
These scams can be quite costly, as travel scam losses have cost U.S. residents $297 million, according to a survey from LocalsInsider.com
The survey compiled Federal Trade Commission data on U.S. vacation and travel fraud comparing annual losses, average losses per report and year-over-year changes
The survey broke this data down by state to determine which locations were being hit hardest by travel scams, and polled more than 1,000 Americans to understand how travel scams affect consumer behavior
The state of Washington ranked first in travel scam losses, suffering more than $9.7 million in total losses — or $124,000 in annual losses per 100,000 residents, according to the survey
Utah ranked second, totaling more than $104,978 in annual losses per 100,000 residents, and Arizona ranked third, amassing more than $96,999 in annual losses per 100,000 residents
Below is a chart featuring the top 10 states hit hardest by travel scams and how much money they lost
Top 10 states hit hardest by travel scams
| $9,716,399 | $124,363.86 |
| $3,587,884 | $104,978.44 |
| $7,354,858 | $96,999.28 |
| $2,957,296 | $96,400.08 |
| $10,072,762 | $92,960.83 |
| $10,150,887 | $92,036.25 |
| $20,429,185 | $90,351.74 |
| $1,738,948 | $86,893.79 |
| $5,061,648 | $86,117.45 |
| $3,580,942 | $84,588.69 |
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