"Rising Online Scams: FBI Reports Record Losses for US Consumers"

The FBI reported a record $12.5 billion in losses from online scams in 2023, with over a third attributed to investment scams, particularly those involving fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. The report also highlighted the increasing costs of ransomware attacks, which jumped from $34 million in 2022 to about $59 million in 2023, although the total financial impact is much higher. Cybercriminals extorted a record $1.1 billion in ransom payments from victim organizations worldwide last year, with the health care sector reporting the highest number of ransomware incidents.