Published on: January 29, 2026, at 11:17 AM.
Updated on: January 29, 2026, at 12:34 PM.
A recent article from The New York Post suggests that Nevada holds the dubious title of America’s most dishonest state, topping the list in deception, fraud, and elaborate schemes. This points particularly to Las Vegas, where a significant 70% of Nevada’s population of 3.27 million resides.
The tabloid’s article notes that it analyzed a variety of dishonesty trends, including fraud incidents, romance scams, identity theft cases, counterfeit medical notes, fake identification, and searches for Ashley Madison, the infamous cheating platform that endures despite a history of data breaches.
“The phrase ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ has its reasons,” The Post stated.
The study revealed that various states rank highly in specific dishonest categories. Florida topped the fraud statistics with more than 2,100 reports per 100,000 people, while Arizona led in romance scams, reporting a loss of $53.7 million in 2024.
Nevertheless, Nevada emerged as the overall leader in dishonest practices. As reported by The Post, one in five Nevadans admits to frequently bending the truth. (Interesting—do habitual liars confess about their deceitful ways?)
Extreme Example
To substantiate its claims, The Post reported on a “romance scam on steroids,” where a female resident of Las Vegas reportedly entrapped older men through dating platforms, sedated them, and drained their bank accounts.
This case, revealed by the FBI in February 2025, involves Aurora Phelps, 43, who could face life imprisonment if found guilty of bank fraud, identity theft, and one count of kidnapping that resulted in death.
However, this incident is not connected to the data referenced in The Post article. That information was exclusively compiled by “researchers at the online tarot reading platform Tarotoo,” according to the publication.
Additionally, there is no indication of such a study or survey anywhere on Tarotoo.com—or any other website—aside from The New York Post article.
Could it be that The New York Post itself fell for a deception?
No way, that’s implausible. Tarot websites are famed for their integrity. Except perhaps those operating out of Nevada.
Furthermore, Tarotoo.com is registered in Ukraine.