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The FBI reports Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cybercrime in 2025, with cryptocurrency and AI-powered fraud driving record losses.
Americans reported nearly $21 billion in losses from cybercrime in 2025, the highest total recorded by the FBI in more than two decades of tracking internet crime [1]. The agency’s annual report highlights a surge in fraud involving cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, with investment scams remaining the costliest category [2].
Key takeaways
Cryptocurrency-related fraud accounted for the largest share of financial losses, totaling more than $11 billion, according to the FBI [2]. Investment scams, which often involve building trust over time before disappearing with funds, caused $8.6 billion in damage, with cryptocurrency making up almost three-quarters of these incidents [2]. Business email compromise schemes, where criminals pose as trusted vendors or executives to divert payments, also contributed significantly, costing at least $3 billion in 2025 [2].
For the first time, the FBI formally tracked AI-related fraud, documenting more than 22,000 complaints and approximately $893 million in losses [1]. Scammers are utilizing the technology to clone voices, generate convincing emails, and create fake profiles or videos to sell fraudulent investments [1][2]. Special Agent Dominique Evans of the FBI Norfolk Field Office noted that while criminals can clone voices or images, there are often "strange nuances" that can alert victims [4]. The agency warns that AI is making traditional red flags harder to spot and allows fraud to scale more easily [3].
The FBI warns that cyber threats will continue to evolve as emerging technologies like AI become more integrated into daily life [3]. Older adults reported the highest losses of any demographic, underscoring the vulnerability of specific populations to sophisticated schemes [1][3]. Law enforcement agencies urge victims to report incidents quickly through the Internet Crime Complaint Center to aid in potential recovery efforts [2].
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A crypto Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the perpetrator pays returns to earlier investors using capital contributed by newer investors rather than from legitimate trading profits.
Scammers may direct victims to use crypto kiosks to transfer funds under false pretenses, leading some jurisdictions to require warning stickers on the machines to alert users to potential fraud.
While some detectives specialize in tracing stolen funds to assist victims, recovery is difficult, and victims are often targeted by secondary 'recovery scams' that promise to retrieve lost assets for a fee.
AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 4 outlets · May 31, 2026 · How we report