The FBI’s annual cybercrime report reveals total reported damages surged to over $20.8 billion in 2025, a 26% year-over-year increase. Cryptocurrency was the dominant transaction medium, with related fraud losses reaching approximately $11.36 billion. Investment scams, particularly those targeting older adults, accounted for the vast majority of these losses, highlighting the growing scale of organized online financial crime.
Reported cybercrime losses exceeded $20.8 billion in 2025, marking a sharp 26% increase from the previous year. More than one million complaints were filed, underscoring the systemic risk of online fraud.
Cryptocurrency emerged as the backbone of illicit financial activity, with losses tied to crypto-related fraud reaching approximately $11.36 billion. This made it the single largest transaction medium used in cybercrime last year.
Investment scams alone accounted for $8.6 billion in losses, the highest among all complaint categories. These schemes often involve fake trading platforms and are frequently run by organized groups linked to scam networks in Southeast Asia.
Individuals aged 60 and above recorded the highest losses, totaling $7.7 billion in 2025. The data highlights a growing vulnerability among older users targeted by these complex fraud schemes.
Over 22,000 complaints in 2025 involved AI-related elements, signaling an early shift in how scams are executed. Phishing, extortion, and identity-based fraud remained the most common attack vectors by volume.
Cyber-enabled fraud accounted for nearly 85% of all reported losses, reinforcing its position as the primary driver of financial crime. The increasing use of cryptocurrency presents a complex challenge for regulators given the speed and cross-border nature of transactions.
