Crypto-related fraud losses in the United States reached a new record in 2025. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Americans reported $11.366 billion in losses tied to cryptocurrency scams during the year, up sharply from $9.3 billion in 2024 and marking the highest annual total on record.
The report said IC3 received 181,565 cryptocurrency-related complaints in 2025, an increase of about 21% from the previous year. Out of more than one million cybercrime complaints overall, crypto became the category with the largest financial damage. Total cybercrime losses in the U.S. reached $20.88 billion, meaning crypto-related cases accounted for more than half of all reported losses.
Investment scams remained the main driver
Investment fraud continued to dominate the data. IC3 logged 61,559 complaints tied to crypto investment schemes, with losses totaling about $7.228 billion. These scams often rely on long-term social engineering, including romance-based approaches, unsolicited messages, and trust-building tactics on social platforms before victims are directed to fake investment portals.
Other fraud categories also expanded. Crypto ATM and kiosk scams generated losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars and were linked to more than 12,000 complaints. Recovery scams, in which fraudsters target victims again after an initial loss, accounted for around $1.4 billion in damage. Extortion, sextortion, and impersonation scams were also cited, with cryptocurrency increasingly used as the preferred payment rail.
Older Americans were hit hardest as AI tools reshape tactics
By age group, Americans aged 60 and older reported the largest crypto-related losses at roughly $4.43 billion. Geographically, California, Texas, and Florida led the country in both complaint volume and total losses, a pattern that likely reflects large populations and heavier exposure to digital finance tools.
The FBI also warned that scam methods are evolving. Criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools such as voice cloning and deepfakes to impersonate trusted figures. Social media, text messages, and dating apps remain common entry points, where scammers build credibility before steering targets toward fraudulent crypto platforms.
The bureau noted that the reported figures likely understate the real scale of damage because complaint filing is voluntary and incomplete. Separately, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis estimates global crypto scam activity reached at least $14 billion, with projections exceeding $17 billion. While law enforcement has expanded coordinated responses and victim-identification efforts, recovery rates remain low, making prevention the most important line of defense.