Trends in fraud

Several recent news stories about people being targeted by various scams caused a reporter to ask me some questions about the trend.  Since that's been a couple of weeks ago, and no article has emerged, I think that the story he thought might be there simply wasn't.  So I'll write it myself. 

His questions made it apparent that he believed there was an increase in fraud, and he wanted the long-term data to verify his anecdotal observation, and to get a sense of just how dramatic the increase had been.  When I replied to his email, I told him that I doubted it: my guess was that fraud had fallen in the long term. 

The data proved that to indeed be the case, with the peak years in the rear view mirror, and the current trend reasonably stable.  Were it not for craigslist, the decline would be far greater.  It never ceases to amaze me how many people get scammed by failing to heed the simple advice right craigslist delivers right on their front page.