US crypto scam losses hit $80.7 billion in 2025, new estimate shows

A new estimate from the Consumer Federation of America puts total U.S. losses from cryptocurrency scams at $80.7 billion in 2025, a figure derived by applying a 7.1‑times multiplier to the FBI’s reported $11.37 billion loss [5]. The scale underscores the growing gap between reported complaints and the likely true cost of crypto fraud.

FBI report shows crypto scams dominate cyber theft

The FBI’s Internet Crime Report recorded $16.6 billion in total cyber losses for 2024, with $11.37 billion attributed to cryptocurrency‑related complaints [3]. Investment‑type scams made up the largest share of those crypto losses. The report also highlighted that 181,565 cryptocurrency complaints were filed, reflecting a surge in fraud targeting digital assets. While the FBI’s figures rely on complaints, the agency acknowledges many incidents go unreported, suggesting the true loss figure is higher [3].

Historical context and the role of DeFi

Chainalysis data from 2021 showed scammers siphoned $7.8 billion in crypto, a 82 % increase from the previous year, driven largely by decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms [4]. That year, DeFi transaction volume jumped 912 %, and 72 % of stolen funds came from DeFi protocols, illustrating how the sector’s rapid growth created new attack surfaces. Despite these losses, illicit activity represented only 0.15 % of total crypto trade volume, indicating that legitimate usage far outpaces criminal use [4].

Multiplying the gap: CFA’s 2025 estimate

The Consumer Federation of America applied a 7.1‑times multiplier—derived from a 2017 Bureau of Justice Statistics study showing only 14 % of fraud victims report crimes—to the FBI’s $11.37 billion figure, arriving at the $80.7 billion estimate for 2025 [5]. This methodology assumes a similar under‑reporting rate for crypto fraud, a claim the CFA explicitly labels as an estimate rather than a verified loss amount.

What to watch

• Regulatory scrutiny: Watch for any U.S. legislative or enforcement actions targeting crypto investment scams, especially those involving DeFi platforms.
• FBI complaint trends: Quarterly updates to the Internet Crime Report will reveal whether reported crypto complaints continue to rise or plateau.
• AI‑enabled fraud: The FBI noted $893 million in AI‑related scam losses in 2024; monitoring AI‑driven fraud techniques could signal future spikes in crypto scams [3].

The widening disparity between reported and estimated crypto scam losses highlights a persistent transparency challenge for law enforcement and regulators. As fraudsters increasingly exploit emerging technologies like AI and DeFi, the true cost of crypto fraud may remain hidden unless reporting mechanisms improve.