Key Highlights from the Report
- 181,565 cryptocurrency-related complaints were filed — a 21% increase from 2024.
- Average reported loss per complaint: $62,604.
- 18,589 victims reported losing more than $100,000 each.
Crypto fraud accounted for more than half of the total $20.9 billion in internet crime losses tracked by the IC3 last year.
Seniors Hit Hardest
Americans aged 60 and older were the most affected group:
- 44,555 crypto complaints
- $4.4 billion in losses (nearly 56% higher than the $2.84 billion reported in 2024)
- This age group accounted for $7.8 billion in total losses across all crime types (up 59% year-over-year)
Biggest Sources of Crypto Losses
- Investment fraud — $7.2 billion across 61,559 complaints (up 25% in losses, 48% in volume). Most of these schemes are linked to organized criminal networks in Southeast Asia operating scam compounds.
- Recovery scams — $1.4 billion (fraudsters posing as lawyers, government officials, or even the IC3 to extract more money from previous victims).
- Crypto ATM / kiosk scams — $389 million (up 58% from 2024), with seniors accounting for $257.4 million of those losses.
AI’s Growing Role
For the first time, the IC3 specifically tracked AI-related complaints:
- 22,364 AI-flagged complaints
- Adjusted losses: $893 million
- Roughly $658.7 million of AI-related losses also involved cryptocurrency
The FBI noted that the true impact of AI is likely understated, as many victims don’t realize AI was used in the scam.
Positive Notes on Recoveries
- The IC3 Recovery Asset Team froze or seized $679 million through 3,900 actions (58% success rate).
- Operation Level Up notified 3,780 potential victims, preventing an estimated $225.9 million in losses. 78% of those contacted were unaware they were being scammed.
State-by-State Losses (Crypto-Related)
- California: $2.099 billion (highest)
- Texas: $1.016 billion
- Florida: $914.5 million
- New York: $593.4 million
- Oregon: $545.9 million (notable for high per-victim losses despite lower complaint volume)
Bottom Line
Crypto fraud continues to grow rapidly, with seniors bearing a disproportionate burden. Investment scams driven by organized crime remain the dominant threat, while new tactics involving AI are accelerating losses.
