Hawaii was second only to Iowa among states with the highest risk for loss due to embezzlement in 2012, a national study has found.

The fifth annual Marquet Report on Embezzlement, covering 2012, studied what it called 528 major embezzlement cases, those with more than $100,000 in losses, active in the U.S. during the year.

Among the findings, the number of major embezzlements rose 11 percent over 2011; the average loss was about $1.4 million; and female perpetrators were responsible for 58 percent of the cases in 2012.

The financial services industry suffers the greatest losses in embezzlement cases, followed by nonprofits, the study found. Embezzlers are most likely to be people in financial positions; and those responsible typically launch embezzlement schemes while in their 40s.

Boston-based Marquet International maintains a blog on white collar crime within its website, where the report also may be found.

http://www.marquetinternational.com/