The Reality of Summer Travel Fraud by State

Hastily booking travel plans means taking less time to be vigilant, and scammers count on that trade-off every summer. Data from the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, shows that there were 14,263 vacation and travel fraud reports filed between July and September of 2025. Losses peaked during this third quarter, reaching an estimated $40 million and surpassing second-quarter losses by 18%.

SmartCustomer, a platform where people share reviews of online businesses, including travelers writing about their own booking experiences, has already heard from reviewers flagging travel scams this year. SmartCustomer conducted a deep dive into summer 2025's FTC data, exploring which states had the most vacation and travel fraud reports, and which had the steepest losses.

States with the greatest overall financial losses to vacation and travel fraud

Some of the most populous states in the nation (i.e., California, Texas, and Florida) suffered the greatest overall financial losses to vacation and travel fraud in the third quarter of 2025. Table 1 below presents the ten states with the greatest reported vacation and travel fraud losses in that time period, according to the FTC rankings data. For example, as shown in Table 1, California’s estimated total loss (about $6.3 million) was the greatest of any state in the third quarter of 2025.

It’s not necessarily surprising that the three most populous states in the nation rank highest. However, Table 1 also highlights how the average loss per report, regardless of a state’s population, can be significant. For example, California’s average loss per report ($4,814) means that the typical victim in the state may have also lost a considerable amount of money for each incident.

Table 1. Ten States with the Greatest Reported Vacation and Travel Fraud Losses, Q3 2025

State	Total $ Loss	# of Reports	Reports per Million in Population	Average $ Loss Per Report
California	$6,345,093	1,318	33.6	$4,814
Florida	$2,996,589	1,109	50.6	$2,702
Texas	$2,519,340	851	28.7	$2,960
Illinois	$1,517,297	408	32.1	$3,719
New York	$1,496,409	769	38.7	$1,946
Georgia	$1,443,921	412	38.1	$3,505
Pennsylvania	$1,152,873	449	34.6	$2,568
Ohio	$1,123,161	302	25.6	$3,719
Tennessee	$1,107,005	217	31.1	$5,101
New Jersey	$1,038,216	358	38.6	$2,900

Note. Adapted from Fraud reports: State subcategories (Table "State Rankings: Vacation & Travel, Year: 2025, Quarter: Q3"), by Federal Trade Commission, 2026, Tableau Public.

States with the greatest number of reports per million people

Fraud victims are not always residents of the most populous states in the nation. Below, Table 2 presents the ten states that had the largest number of vacation and travel fraud reports in the third quarter of 2025, per million residents. The table provides a ranking of where reports are filed relative to how many people live there, not where the scams necessarily happen. The FTC ties each report to the consumer’s own state, meaning, for example, that Nevada residents filed reports at the highest rate in the country, followed by residents of Florida and Connecticut.

As shown below, Nevada ranked among the top three states with the largest number of travel and vacation fraud reports per million people in the third quarter of 2025, although it is not one of the most densely populated states in the country. Florida followed closely in second place, racking up 1,109 travel fraud reports, by far the highest in the table.

Table 2. Ten States with the Highest Reported Vacation and Travel Fraud Losses per Million People, Q3 2025

State	Reports Per Million People	Total $ Loss	# of Reports	Average $ Loss Per Report
Nevada	51.9	$358,572	163	$2,200
Florida	50.6	$2,996,589	1,109	$2,702
Connecticut	44.2	$198,342	159	$1,247
Arizona	41.7	$715,263	303	$2,361
Maryland	40.7	$521,783	251	$2,079
Colorado	39.4	$488,064	229	$2,131
Massachusetts	39.0	$723,831	273	$2,651
New York	38.7	$1,496,409	769	$1,946
Virginia	38.7	$464,921	335	$1,388
New Jersey	38.6	$1,038,216	358	$2,900

Note. Adapted from Fraud reports: State subcategories (Table "State Rankings: Vacation & Travel, Year: 2025, Quarter: Q3"), by Federal Trade Commission, 2026, Tableau Public.

States with the greatest financial losses per fraud report

Even residents of states with fewer fraud reports can still suffer significant financial losses per report. Table 3 below presents the states with the greatest estimated average financial losses per vacation and travel fraud report in the third quarter of 2025. When analyzed by average dollars lost per vacation and travel fraud report, Nevada and Florida, which topped the reports-per-million list above, no longer appear in the top ten states.

While Table 2 above showed that Nevada had the largest number of reports per million people, residents of Utah lost much more per report ($6,907 in Utah, versus $2,200 in Nevada, which is roughly three times the amount for the same category of scam). In other words, living in a state that has fewer fraud reports doesn’t necessarily mean the impacts won’t be substantial. For example, while New Mexico only had 58 reports per million in population, the average loss per report was $6,350 (versus $4,814 in California).

Table 3. Ten States with the Highest Average Reported Vacation and Travel Fraud Losses per Report, Q3 2025

State	Average $ Loss Per Report	Total $ Loss	Reports per Million in Population	# of Reports
Utah	$6,907	$766,713	111	33.3
New Mexico	$6,350	$368,309	58	27.4
Tennessee	$5,101	$1,107,005	217	31.1
California	$4,814	$6,345,093	1,318	33.6
Arkansas	$4,491	$363,746	81	26.7
Kentucky	$4,347	$543,344	125	27.7
Alabama	$4,105	$463,892	113	22.4
Nebraska	$3,933	$232,046	59	30
Illinois	$3,719	$1,517,297	408	32.1
Ohio	$3,719	$1,123,161	302	25.6

Note. Adapted from Fraud reports: State subcategories (Table "State Rankings: Vacation & Travel, Year: 2025, Quarter: Q3"), by Federal Trade Commission, 2026, Tableau Public.

What this means for travelers

Vacation and travel fraud reports were highest in the third quarter of 2025, which serves as a warning for travelers planning summer trips. While some of the most populous states in the nation suffered the greatest overall financial losses to vacation and travel fraud in the third quarter of 2025, it’s important to keep in mind that residents of other, less populated states can also be victims of fraud and suffer great financial losses.

To protect yourself against vacation and travel fraud, confirm any operator or listing independently before paying. Search the business name alongside terms such as “scam” or “complaint,” and be wary of requests to pay by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency. SmartCustomer’s guide to online travel scams in 2026 covers more of these patterns in detail.