The FBI’s '2025 Internet Crime Report,' released on Monday, reveals that economic losses from cybercrime in the U.S. surpassed the $20 billion mark for the first time, reaching $20.87 billion. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over one million complaints throughout the year; approximately 45% of these involved online fraud, accounting for 85% of the total financial damages.
Among the various types of cybercrime, cryptocurrency-related fraud was particularly prominent, with total losses reaching $11.366 billion—a 22% increase from the $9.3 billion recorded in 2024. The IC3 received 181,565 crypto-related complaints, a 21% year-over-year rise. Crypto investment scams remained the primary driver, causing $7.228 billion in losses, with the number of complaints surging by 48% compared to the previous year.
AI and the Crypto Scam Boom
Artificial intelligence is being widely exploited by criminals to refine their tactics and increase efficiency. The FBI noted that there were over 22,000 AI-related complaints last year, with adjusted losses across all scam categories exceeding $893 million. As reported by The Register, criminals are leveraging automated bots to scale up legacy scams, making them significantly more deceptive.
Seniors have been hit hardest by this wave of fraud. Individuals aged 60 and older filed 44,555 complaints, reporting losses of $4.432 billion—nearly 40% of the total crypto fraud figure. This is substantially higher than the $2.139 billion reported by victims in their 50s. Additionally, fraud involving crypto ATMs and self-service kiosks saw an explosive increase, with losses reaching $389 million, a 58% jump.
Addressing this dire situation, Jose Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, stated in the report: 'The FBI remains committed to ensuring the online safety of the American public.' He also highlighted recent executive orders targeting cybercrime, fraud, and overseas scam operations.
However, industry experts suggest that official data reflects only the tip of the iceberg. Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, told Decrypt: 'The FBI’s $11.3 billion figure is an important benchmark, but it only shows part of the picture.' He estimates that global fraud losses are closer to $35 billion, noting that only 15% of victims actually report their cases.
According to the report, the average loss per reported case in 2025 was $62,604, with 18,589 victims suffering individual losses exceeding $100,000.
