FBI: Crypto Fraud Reaches $11 Billion
News By Alex Dovbnya Tue, 7/04/2026 - 18:48 Americans lost a record-breaking $20.9 billion to cybercrime last year, driven largely by an unprecedented epidemic of cryptocurrency fraud. Advertisement
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released its highly anticipated 2025 Internet Crime Report (IC3), revealing a devastating surge in digital fraud. Americans lost a staggering $20.9 billion to cybercrime last year.
AdvertisementCryptocurrency-related fraud has accounted for more than half of the total losses.
"Cryptocurrency-related complaints accounted for over $11.2 billion in losses in 2025," the report states, representing an unprecedented scale of digital theft.
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Investment fraud was by far the costliest category, accounting for $10.7 billion of the overall cybercrime losses. Scammers have increasingly weaponized the decentralized and often pseudonymous nature of digital assets to evade traditional financial tracking.
AdvertisementCriminals typically rely on "pig butchering" schemes, fake exchanges, and liquidity pool scams.
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The FBI has also identified artificial intelligence as a major catalyst for the surging crime rates. The 2025 IC3 report logged 86,000 complaints directly involving AI-enabled crimes. They have cost victims nearly $893 million.
AdvertisementElderly Americans are facing the heaviest toll, according to the report.
The 60 age demographic has accounted for a massive $6.4 billion in losses (roughly 31% of the total).
On a state-by-state level, the losses were concentrated heavily in three states (California with $3.2 billion, Texas with $1.8 billion, and Florida with $1.7 billion).
Through this operation, the FBI successfully froze over 3,000 illicit wallets and saved potential victims more than $500 million.
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has applauded the FBI's proactive disruption efforts. Chainalysis emphasized that "public-private collaboration and on-chain tracking remain critical to dismantling these scam networks."
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