FBI report: Cryptocurrency scams caused losses of $11.4 billion, with seniors becoming the largest group of victims

Gate News message. Latest 2026 data shows that an Internet Crime Report issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States reveals that the scale of cryptocurrency scams continues to expand. In 2025, related losses reached $11.3666 billion, up 22% year over year. The number of complaints reached 181,565, an increase of 21%, reflecting that the risk of cryptocurrency-related fraud is still rising rapidly.

In terms of victim composition, people aged 60 and above have become the primary target group. This cohort filed 44,555 related complaints throughout the year, with cumulative losses of $4.43 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of total losses—far higher than any other age group. By comparison, people aged 50 to 59 suffered losses of $2.14B, only about half of the losses of the older group, highlighting that scam artists concentrate their attacks on higher-net-worth individuals and groups with weaker risk-identification capabilities.

Among specific scam types, cryptocurrency investment scams remain the largest category, with 61,559 cases in total, involving $7.23B, accounting for the overwhelming majority of total losses. At the same time, scams involving crypto ATMs and self-service terminals have grown markedly, with 13,460 complaints recorded over the year and losses of $389 million, up 58% year over year—becoming a new high-risk area. In addition, so-called “recovery scams” have also resulted in roughly $1.4 billion in extra losses, indicating that scam chains are extending.

From a regional distribution perspective, California has the highest losses in the U.S., at $2.1B. Next are Texas and Florida, with losses of $1.02B and $0.9145 billion, respectively. These regions have higher levels of cryptocurrency adoption and have also become key areas for fraud activity.

The report notes that although law enforcement efforts continue to strengthen, scam tactics are constantly evolving, complexity is increasing, and overall risk is still growing. For market participants, strengthening security awareness, identifying high-yield bait traps, and avoiding cryptocurrency asset transactions through unknown channels have become critical measures to prevent losses.