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As more older Americans manage banking, healthcare, and daily communication online, exposure to cybercrime continues to rise. Today, on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, new data shows a widening gap in how states are protecting (or failing to protect) their senior populations.
A new study by researchers at Protect My Data, based on FBI Internet Crime Report (IC3) data, ranks states by senior cybercrime victimization per 100,000 residents, total financial losses, and year-over-year changes between 2024 and 2025.
Colorado ranked fourth overall, making it one of the states where seniors face the highest levels of cybercrime exposure in the country. The state recorded 303.39 senior cybercrime victims per 100,000 residents in 2025, placing among the highest rates nationwide.
Cybercrime losses in Colorado reached $15.81 million per 100,000 seniors, one of the highest financial loss figures in the entire study. The number of victims increased by 29.95 percent compared to 2024, highlighting the growing scale of online threats targeting older residents.
The findings place Colorado behind Arizona, Utah, and Nevada in the national ranking. Utah recorded the highest financial losses overall at more than $17.5 million per 100,000 seniors, while Arizona reported the highest victim rate in the country.
Maryland rounded out the top five states most at risk, while Massachusetts, Washington, Kansas, Oregon, and Delaware completed the top 10. Several states posted steep year-over-year increases, including Kansas at 78.30 percent and Massachusetts at 69.40 percent.
Meanwhile, Mississippi ranked as the state with the lowest overall risk for seniors, reporting 131.76 victims per 100,000 residents. North Dakota, Iowa, Alabama, and Maine also appeared among the lowest-risk states, although each still recorded increases compared to 2024.
Peter Nguyen, a privacy expert at Protect My Data, commented on the study:
“Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting seniors because they often rely on trust, urgency-based communication, and digital tools that can feel unfamiliar or overwhelming,” Nguyen said. “What we are seeing in the data is not just a rise in attacks, but a rise in sophistication. Scams are becoming harder to spot, even for cautious users.”
Nguyen added that prevention now depends as much on awareness as it does on technology. “Simple habits like verifying unexpected calls, avoiding urgent payment requests, and using multi-factor authentication can make a real difference. But the bigger issue is education. Seniors need clearer guidance on how to recognize that legitimate institutions will never pressure them into immediate financial decisions online.”
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