In 2025, crypto scams accounted for more than half of total cybercrime losses, totaling $20.87 billion, with an average loss per complaint of $62,604 and nearly 18,600 victims losing more than $100,000 each.

The 2025 IC3 report marks the first time a dedicated AI section appears, noting 22,364 AI-assisted complaints totaling $893 million in losses, though authorities say this is likely an undercount.

Demographic and geographic patterns show $6.4 billion in losses among 60-year-olds, the largest number of complaints from 30–39-year-olds, and concentrations of losses in California ($3.2B), Texas ($1.8B), and Florida ($1.7B).

Defenders are urged to reinforce security fundamentals with heightened awareness and training to detect BEC and phishing, alongside aggressive patch management and vulnerability mitigation across IT environments.

Law enforcement efforts like Operation Level Up aim to identify victims and prevent further losses, though recovery remains challenging and prevention is emphasized as the primary defense.

Authorities advise individuals to verify investment opportunities through independent sources and to never send cryptocurrency to unsolicited contacts.

Practical protection tips include using independent sources to verify opportunities, avoiding crypto transfers to unsolicited addresses, and recognizing that legitimate investments do not require Bitcoin ATM deposits.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, in coordination with multiple agencies, targets Southeast Asian scam operations to disrupt the underlying infrastructure used by fraud rings.

The report notes attackers increasingly use AI agents to automate reconnaissance, credential harvesting, and network intrusion, citing tools like Claude Code and emerging agents such as OpenClaw.

The FBI cautions about impersonation attempts—crooks posing as FBI or IC3 agents—and stresses reporting scams to IC3.

Contextual notes add that market and crypto-trade dynamics are mentioned to illustrate the broader crypto landscape, though not central to FBI findings.

AI enables more convincing scams with synthetic content, deepfakes, and personalized communications, expanding threats across BEC, romance, employment, and investment schemes.