Houston is becoming more and more of a destination spot and it’s confusing locals more than ever, but as the influx of visitors and new residents staying here, more scams are being reported.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports, Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, with roughly 2.6 million people reporting scams nationwide.
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A new report ranking the “scammiest cities in America” shows Texas cities are high on the list, raising the question: Which Texas city is becoming the capital for scammers?
The report by All About Cookies places Dallas at No. 7 in the country, with 2,046 fraud reports per 100,000 residents and 316 spam call complaints per 100,000 people. Researchers say fraud reports in Dallas jumped more than 40% year over year, one of the largest increases among major U.S. cities.
Meanwhile, Houston ranked No. 9 nationwide, with 1,873 fraud reports per 100,000 residents and 344 spam call complaints per 100,000 people.
Houston also stood out in another category, identity theft.
The report found the city has the third-highest rate of identity theft reports in the country, with 573 reports per 100,000 people.
That trend is helping drive a 45% year-over-year increase in fraud reports in the Houston area, placing it among the fastest-growing cities for scam activity.
Experts say the growth of large metro areas, combined with more online transactions and social media use, is making major cities like Houston and Dallas bigger targets for scammers.