Turns out Georgians can catch fish but can’t catch digital fraudsters to save their lives – or their bank accounts.
A new survey from Fullstack Academy reveals the Peach State leads the nation in falling for phishing scams, with a staggering 43% of residents admitting they’ve taken the bait from online tricksters.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term — and apparently that’s a large portion of people in the Peach State — Phishing is when someone tries to trick you into giving them your personal information, like your passwords, credit card numbers, or other private details.
🎣 What We Know: Nearly half of all Georgians surveyed have been victimized by phishing attempts, earning the dubious distinction of being America’s most gullible state. This may on the surface appear shocking, but when one considers Georgia’s low education rankings, it shouldn’t be a surprise.
The survey found 58% of Georgia residents lack confidence in their ability to spot these scams, which explains a lot about our collective digital street smarts.
🏆 Why It Matters: When scammers text “Hey there” followed by a suspicious link, too many Georgians respond with their personal information instead of the block button. “Claim your prize” messages prove particularly irresistible in Georgia.
Remember what your grandma taught you: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably involves someone in a distant country laughing all the way to the bank.
🛒 Amazon Isn’t Offering You Prizes: Amazon tops the list of organizations impersonated by scammers targeting Georgians. Meanwhile, 42% of residents report encountering localized phishing attempts designed to seem like they’re coming from nearby businesses or organizations – the fifth highest rate in the country.
🚨 Take Action: Before clicking that next tempting link, remember that your actual Amazon delivery doesn’t require you to verify your social security number. If you receive suspicious messages, report them to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
🧠 Remember The Golden Rule: Share this information with your neighbors – especially that uncle who keeps forwarding chain emails. A little digital literacy goes a long way, and in Georgia, we clearly need all literacy — digital or otherwise — we can get.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
