HOUSTON – Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes in 2025, with cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence-related scams among the costliest, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s latest Internet Crime Report.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 1,008,597 complaints, up from 859,532 in 2024.
The states reporting the most victims and financial losses were:
California – $3.6 billion
Texas – $1.8 billion
Florida – $1.6 billion
The most common complaints included phishing and spoofing, extortion, and investment fraud, with older Americans hit especially hard.
Individuals over 60 reported $7.7 billion in losses, a 37% increase from the previous year.
Cyber-enabled fraud remains a major driver of losses, with 453,000 complaints totaling $17.7 billion, nearly half of which stemmed from investment scams.
Cryptocurrency fraud accounted for 181,565 complaints and more than $11 billion in losses, the highest reported for any category.
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Scammers are increasingly exploiting new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
For the first time, the IC3 report includes an AI-focused section, detailing 22,364 complaints that resulted in nearly $893 million in losses.
Fraudsters employ high-pressure tactics alongside AI-generated tools, including fake social media profiles, voice clones, forged identification, and realistic videos of public figures or family members to manipulate victims.
To combat cryptocurrency scams, the FBI launched Operation Level Up in 2024, a proactive initiative that identifies and notifies potential victims. The program has alerted over 8,000 people and helped reduce losses by more than $500 million.
In 2026, the FBI introduced Operation Winter SHIELD, providing actionable steps organizations can take to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.
The FBI warns Americans to remain vigilant, carefully vet investment opportunities, and implement strong digital security practices to protect personal information.
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