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FBI Reports Record Online Fraud in 2025 as Crypto and AI Scams Surge

The bureau’s new data points to fast‑evolving social‑engineering tactics powered by deepfakes.

Overview

  • The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, which released its 2025 report Monday, logged 1,008,597 complaints and nearly $21 billion in losses.
  • Cryptocurrency investment scams were the costliest category at $7.2 billion, with broader crypto‑linked losses reaching about $11.4 billion across 181,565 complaints.
  • For the first time, the report tracked AI‑related crime, counting 22,364 complaints tied to deepfakes, voice cloning, and forged documents, with nearly $893 million lost.
  • Complaints about scammers posing as government officials nearly doubled to roughly 32,500 in 2025 and led to about $800 million in losses.
  • Older Americans reported $7.7 billion in losses and the largest state losses were in California ($3.6 billion), Texas ($1.8 billion), and Florida ($1.6 billion), as the FBI highlighted ongoing crackdowns like Operation Level Up and the new Winter SHIELD program alongside expanded work with India’s CBI.