FTC, FBI, and IRS Data Warn of Scam Increase.

• Position: ONLINE SHOPPING

"Coronavirus Scams by State and How to Avoid Them"--based on data from the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service--has been released by SocialCatfish.com.

The top five states for scams are California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania. North Dakota has the fewest complaints, but still shows a 182% increase over last year. Nationally, the FTC has registered 144,-727 reports of fraud, costing victims $93,000,000, a median loss of $263 per person.

Online shopping ranks No. 1 for most complaints nationally, racking up 22,124 citings, and the government reported a barrage of activity around stimulus checks.

Here are four common online shopping scams to avoid during the coronavirus pandemic:

Price gouging. Some retailers are marking up essential items such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer at abhorrent levels. Price gouging law varies by state but, on average, it is illegal to mark a product up 10% or more during a declared emergency. Amazon has had to remove 500,000 items for sale on its website due to price gouging and has suspended 6,000 accounts.

If you suspect you are a victim of price gouging, report it to the Department of Justice.

Undelivered goods. There are thousands of websites offering essential products--including masks and gloves--that take your payment and financial information, never send...