Crypto Fraud in America 2026
Cryptocurrency fraud has become the single most financially damaging category of internet crime in the United States. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, released in April 2026, Americans reported $11.366 billion in crypto-related losses across 181,565 complaints — losses that now account for more than half of all cybercrime dollars reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). That figure was $9.3 billion in 2024, meaning the problem grew by 22% in a single year. What makes that number even harder to sit with is the fact that most victims never file a report. The real total is almost certainly higher.
What has changed most is not just the scale but the method. Crypto investment scams now rely on weeks of psychological manipulation before a single dollar moves. Organized criminal groups — primarily based in Southeast Asia — run what look like legitimate investment platforms, complete with fabricated balances and fake customer service staff. Victims are found on social media or dating apps, built into a relationship, then steered toward a high-return opportunity. By the time they realize something is wrong, the funds are gone and untraceable. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network separately recorded $15.9 billion in total fraud losses in 2025, up from $12.5 billion in 2024, with investment scams leading the damage category at $7.9 billion.
Interesting Facts: US Crypto Fraud 2026
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total crypto fraud losses in 2025 (FBI IC3) | $11.366 billion |
| Year-over-year increase in crypto losses | 22% |
| Total cybercrime complaints filed with IC3 in 2025 | 1,008,597 |
| Crypto-related complaints filed in 2025 | 181,565 |
| Average reported loss per crypto fraud complaint | $62,604 |
| Victims losing more than $100,000 each | 18,589 |
| Crypto investment scam losses in 2025 | $7.228 billion |
| Losses by Americans aged 60 and older | $4.43 billion |
| Crypto ATM fraud losses in 2025 | $389 million |
| Recovery scam losses in 2025 | $1.4 billion |
| AI-linked fraud complaints in 2025 | 22,364 |
| AI-linked fraud losses in 2025 | $893 million |
| Operation Level Up total savings (since 2024) | $500 million+ |
| Social media fraud losses in 2025 (FTC) | $2.1 billion |
| Total FTC fraud losses in 2025 | $15.9 billion |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Report; Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network, 2025
The numbers above tell a story that most people don’t grasp until it’s too late. Crypto fraud has moved from a niche corner of financial crime to the dominant category of internet losses in the US. The $11.366 billion figure for 2025 represents roughly 54% of all cybercrime losses logged by the FBI — one payment method accounting for more than half the damage across the entire online fraud landscape.
What stands out is the concentration of harm. Nearly 18,600 victims each lost more than $100,000 in 2025. These are retirement accounts, home equity, savings built over decades. The $62,604 average loss per complaint confirms that victims are being extracted deeply rather than hit with small charges — consistent with how crypto investment scams work, encouraging progressively larger deposits before vanishing.
US Crypto Investment Fraud Losses in 2025 | Crypto Fraud Statistics
Crypto Fraud Losses by Type (2025, FBI IC3)
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Investment Scams |████████████████████████████████| $7.228B
Recovery Scams |████████ | $1.400B
Tech Support (Crypto)|████████ | $1.226B
ATM/Kiosk Fraud |██ | $0.389B
Other Crypto |█ | $1.123B
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Scale: each █ ~ $225M
| Crypto Fraud Category | Losses (2025) | % of Total Crypto Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto Investment Scams | $7.228 billion | 63.6% |
| Recovery Scams | $1.4 billion | 12.3% |
| Tech Support Scams (Crypto) | $1.226 billion | 10.8% |
| Crypto ATM / Kiosk Fraud | $389 million | 3.4% |
| Other Crypto-Related Fraud | $1.123 billion | 9.9% |
| Total Crypto Losses | $11.366 billion | 100% |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report
Crypto investment scams are far and away the lead story. At $7.228 billion, they represent nearly two-thirds of all crypto fraud dollars — a 25% increase from 2024 — with complaints in that category rising 48% year over year. That complaint-to-loss ratio suggests scam operations are becoming more efficient. Fewer victims are producing more damage per case, which points to more targeted operations with higher-value victims rather than mass spray-and-pray tactics.
Recovery scams — where fraudsters approach prior crypto victims and offer fake recovery services — are the second-largest category at $1.4 billion. This is a particularly cynical layer of fraud. Victims who have already lost money get targeted again, often by people impersonating law firms or government officials. In some cases, fraudsters have impersonated IC3 staff to run these schemes. The FBI logged over 10,500 complaints related to this category in 2025.
US Crypto Fraud by Age Group in 2025 | Crypto Fraud Statistics
Crypto Fraud Losses by Age Group (2025, FBI IC3)
=================================================
60 and older |███████████████████████████████████| $4.430B
50 to 59 |████████████████ | $2.139B
40 to 49 |██████ | ~$1.0B (est.)
30 to 39 |████ | ~$0.7B (est.)
Under 30 |███ | ~$0.5B (est.)
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Scale: each █ ~ $125M
| Age Group | Crypto Losses (2025) | Share of Total Crypto Losses |
|---|---|---|
| 60 and older | $4.430 billion | ~39% |
| 50 to 59 | $2.139 billion | ~19% |
| 40 to 49 | Est. ~$1.0 billion | ~9% |
| 30 to 39 | Est. ~$0.7 billion | ~6% |
| Under 30 | Est. ~$0.5 billion | ~4% |
| 60+ in Crypto Investment Fraud | $2.76 billion | Within investment subcategory |
| 60+ in Crypto ATM Fraud | $257.4 million | 66% of ATM losses |
| 60+ in Recovery Scams | $540.5 million | Largest share of any group |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report
Americans aged 60 and older suffered $4.43 billion in crypto fraud losses in 2025 — a figure that represents close to 40% of all crypto losses despite that age group making up roughly 17% of the US population. That gap between population share and loss share is stark. It reflects both the financial resources older Americans often hold and the types of scams that target them — crypto ATM fraud, tech support schemes, and government impersonation scams that direct victims to send funds via kiosk. Seniors filed 6,188 ATM fraud complaints and absorbed $257.5 million, roughly 66% of all ATM losses nationally.
The 50-to-59 age group logged $2.139 billion in crypto losses — nearly double what the 60-and-older group lost in 2024. These mid-career victims often have more savings than younger adults and are more active participants in investment discussions. Crypto investment fraud hits this group hard through fake trading platforms that show returns growing over weeks before locking the account. The loss trajectory across age groups makes clear that crypto fraud isn’t selective — it runs across every demographic, but older Americans face a disproportionate financial hit because they are being targeted more deliberately and have more to lose.
US Crypto Fraud by State in 2025 | Crypto Fraud Statistics
Top 5 States: Crypto Fraud Losses (2025, FBI IC3)
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California |██████████████████████████████████████| $2.099B
Texas |███████████████████ | $1.016B
Florida |██████████████████ | $914.5M
New York |███████████ | $593.4M
Oregon |██████████ | $545.9M
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Scale: each █ ~ $55M
| State | Crypto Fraud Losses (2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | $2.099 billion | Highest losses nationally |
| Texas | $1.016 billion | Second highest |
| Florida | $914.5 million | Third highest |
| New York | $593.4 million | Fourth highest |
| Oregon | $545.9 million | 5th in losses, 24th in complaints |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report
California led all states in crypto fraud losses with $2.099 billion — more than double Texas in second place. That concentration makes sense given California’s high rate of crypto adoption, large technology-adjacent population, and disproportionate share of high-net-worth individuals. Texas and Florida round out the top three, both states with large populations and significant percentages of older residents who are frequently targeted by investment and ATM fraud schemes.
Oregon is the outlier worth noting. The state ranked fifth nationally in crypto losses at $545.9 million despite placing 24th in complaint volume. That means Oregon’s average loss per complaint was unusually high — likely the result of a cluster of large-value investment fraud cases pulling the number up. When complaints are low but losses are high, it often indicates sophisticated, longer-running scams targeting wealthier individuals rather than high-volume mass fraud operations.
Crypto ATM and Kiosk Fraud in the US in 2025 | Crypto Fraud Statistics
Crypto ATM Fraud Growth (2022-2025, FBI IC3)
=============================================
2022 |████ | ~$100M (est.)
2023 |████████ | ~$210M (est.)
2024 |████████████ | ~$246M
2025 |████████████████████ | $389M
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Scale: each █ ~ $20M
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ATM Fraud Losses | ~$246 million | $389 million | +58% |
| Total ATM Complaints | ~10,900 | 13,460 | +23% |
| Senior Losses (60+) | ~$168 million | $257.4 million | +53% |
| Senior Complaints (60+) | ~5,000 | 6,188 | +24% |
| Senior Share of ATM Losses | ~68% | ~66% | Steady |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report
Crypto ATM fraud grew 58% in losses in 2025, hitting $389 million across 13,460 complaints. These are not exotic schemes — they follow a predictable pattern. Victims receive a phone call or message from someone posing as a government official, bank representative, or law enforcement agent. They are told their funds are at risk and directed to a nearby crypto kiosk, where they deposit cash converted to cryptocurrency and sent to the scammer’s wallet. The entire interaction feels urgent, official, and terrifying. By the time the victim realizes what happened, the funds are irretrievable.
The legislative response has been building. West Virginia passed legislation bringing crypto kiosks under money transmission licensing rules. Minnesota lawmakers have proposed an outright ban. Connecticut suspended one major ATM operator’s license after finding it overcharged users and failed to compensate fraud victims. Regulators are moving, but the pace of legislative change has not matched the pace of the fraud. Older Americans bear the overwhelming share of this damage — absorbing $257.4 million of the $389 million total in 2025, which is roughly 66 cents of every dollar lost at a crypto kiosk.
AI-Driven Crypto Fraud in the US in 2025
AI-Linked Fraud Losses by Category (2025, FBI IC3)
===================================================
Investment Scams (AI) |████████████████████████████| $632M+
Other AI Fraud |███████████████ | ~$261M
(total AI losses = $893M)
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Scale: each █ ~ $22M
| AI Fraud Metric | 2025 Data |
|---|---|
| Total AI-linked complaints to IC3 | 22,364 |
| Total AI-linked fraud losses | $893 million |
| AI-linked investment scam losses | $632 million+ |
| Senior losses from AI fraud (60+) | $352 million |
| Share of senior losses in AI fraud | ~39% |
| IC3’s first year tracking AI fraud | 2025 (inaugural section) |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report
2025 was the first year the FBI’s IC3 report dedicated a full section to artificial intelligence in fraud, and the numbers justify the attention. AI-linked complaints totaled 22,364, generating $893 million in losses. Within that, investment scams with a confirmed AI component generated over $632 million. These include schemes where scammers use AI-generated videos and voice clones of celebrities, corporate executives, or trusted public figures to create fake endorsements for fraudulent investment platforms. A victim sees what appears to be a credible figure in a professional-looking video, and that perceived legitimacy short-circuits normal skepticism.
Older Americans accounted for $352 million of AI-related losses — close to 39% of the total, consistent with how this group is targeted across all fraud categories. AI makes fraud harder to detect. Voice cloning allows scammers to impersonate family members in distress. Deepfakes make fake investment pitches look professional. The FBI noted that AI tools allow scammers to generate thousands of unique-seeming conversations simultaneously — personalizing manipulation at a scale that was previously impossible. As AI tools become cheaper and more accessible, the sophistication gap between fraud operations and public awareness is growing.
Social Media and Crypto Fraud in the US in 2025 | Crypto Fraud Statistics
Social Media Fraud Losses by Platform Type (2025, FTC)
=======================================================
Facebook |█████████████████████████████████| Highest losses reported
WhatsApp |███████████████ | Distant 2nd
Instagram |█████████████ | 3rd
Other Platforms |████████ | Remainder
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Total social media fraud losses: $2.1 billion
| Social Media Fraud Metric | 2025 Figure |
|---|---|
| Total social media fraud losses (FTC) | $2.1 billion |
| % of fraud victims whose scam started on social media | ~30% |
| Investment scam losses via social media | $1.1 billion |
| Romance scams starting on social media | ~60% |
| Increase in social media fraud losses since 2020 | 8x |
| Highest-loss social media platform | |
| Government impersonation scam increase in 2025 | +40% |
Source: Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network and FTC Data Spotlight, April 2026
Social media has become the primary hunting ground for crypto fraud. The FTC’s 2026 data spotlight found that roughly 30% of all fraud victims whose losses were reported in 2025 said the scam started on a social platform. The total damage from social media fraud reached $2.1 billion — an eightfold increase since 2020. Facebook drove the highest losses of any platform, with WhatsApp and Instagram in second and third. Investment scams — the category most tied to cryptocurrency — accounted for $1.1 billion of the $2.1 billion total, making them the single most expensive category of social media fraud.
Romance scams feed directly into crypto fraud in a significant share of cases. The FTC found that roughly 60% of romance scam victims reported the relationship started on social media. What begins as an emotional connection is gradually steered toward investment conversations and then to fraudulent crypto platforms. By the time the platform “crashes” or account withdrawals are blocked, weeks of relationship-building have already created enough trust that victims transfer substantial sums. The FTC reported a 40% increase in government impersonation scam complaints in 2025, many of which also funnel into crypto payment demands.
FBI Enforcement: Operation Level Up and Crypto Fraud Recovery in 2025
Operation Level Up Impact (Since 2024 Launch, FBI)
====================================================
Victims Notified |█████████████████████████| 8,000+
Losses Prevented |█████████████████████████| $500M+
Victims Saved in 2025 |██████████████ | 3,780
Savings in 2025 Alone |████████████ | $225.9M
Suicide Referrals Made | | 38
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Scale: indicative
| Operation Level Up Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Total victims notified (since 2024 launch) | 8,000+ |
| Total losses prevented | $500 million+ |
| Victims notified in 2025 alone | 3,780 |
| Estimated savings in 2025 | $225.9 million |
| % of 2025 notified victims unaware they were being scammed | 78% |
| Suicide intervention referrals (2025) | 38 |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report; FBI.gov press release, April 2026
Operation Level Up, launched by the FBI in 2024, is a proactive victim-notification program specifically targeting cryptocurrency investment fraud. Rather than waiting for victims to file reports, the Bureau uses intelligence to identify active fraud victims and contacts them before the full scope of losses is realized. Since launch, it has reached over 8,000 victims and prevented an estimated $500 million in losses. In 2025 alone, 3,780 victims were contacted and $225.9 million in potential losses were blocked.
The 78% figure is alarming in a different way: nearly four in five people contacted through Operation Level Up in 2025 had no idea they were being defrauded. They believed they were participating in a legitimate investment. This confirms what fraud researchers have argued — that the most effective crypto investment scams don’t trigger obvious red flags early on. Victims see rising account balances, receive polished communications, and often make successful small withdrawals early in the process to build confidence. By the time the operation requests a large transfer, the psychological hook is deep enough that even direct outreach from law enforcement is sometimes met with disbelief. The 38 suicide intervention referrals made through the program in a single year underline the human cost behind these statistics.
Year-Over-Year Crypto Fraud Loss Trends in the US
US Crypto Fraud Annual Losses - Historical Trend (FBI IC3)
===========================================================
2017 | | $27M
2019 |█ | ~$150M
2021 |████ | ~$1.6B
2022 |███████ | ~$2.6B
2023 |█████████████ | ~$5.6B
2024 |████████████████████ | $9.3B
2025 |████████████████████████████ | $11.3B
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Scale: each █ ~ $400M
| Year | Crypto Fraud Losses (FBI IC3) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $27 million | Baseline |
| 2021 | ~$1.6 billion | Rapid surge |
| 2022 | ~$2.6 billion | +63% |
| 2023 | ~$5.6 billion | +115% |
| 2024 | $9.3 billion | +66% |
| 2025 | $11.366 billion | +22% |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report; IC3 historical annual reports
The trajectory from $27 million in 2017 to $11.366 billion in 2025 is one of the more dramatic growth curves in modern financial crime. Crypto fraud losses have multiplied more than 420 times in eight years. Some of that reflects the growth of crypto adoption generally. But the share of losses attributable to crypto has grown faster than adoption itself — which means fraudsters are more efficient, not just more numerous. The 22% growth rate in 2025 is a deceleration from prior years’ triple-digit leaps, but the absolute increase of roughly $2 billion in a single year is still significant.
What the trend also shows is that crypto fraud is not tied to market cycles. The 2022 crash did not reduce losses. The 2023 bear market did not slow complaint volumes. These operations run regardless of asset prices because they are not really about investing — they use crypto as an untraceable payment channel built on psychological manipulation. Until recovery mechanisms improve and public awareness catches up, the annual damage figure has no obvious ceiling.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
