Americans reported nearly $21 billion in losses in 2025 tied to more than 1 million complaints submitted to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Released on Monday, the report points to a continued shift toward scams that combine financial gain with newer technologies, especially cryptocurrency and AI. In all, cyber-enabled fraud made up 85 percent of losses reported to the center in 2025.
Crypto-related fraud accounted for the largest share, totaling more than $11 billion, with investment scams continuing to do the most damage at $8.6 billion. These scams are built over time as scammers make contact, build trust, share fake documentation and ultimately disappear with victims’ money. Cryptocurrency makes up almost three-quarters of investment fraud, far outpacing traditional payments such as bank cards or cash.
AI shows up in ways that feel less visible but just as concerning. The report includes a dedicated AI section for the first time, documenting more than 22,000 complaints and roughly $893 million in losses. Scammers use AI to generate convincing messages, clone voices, and create fake profiles or videos, all of which make traditional red flags harder to spot. They also use it to make convincing documents, such as fake identification and “proof-of-life” content.
Business email compromise is considered one of the most financially damaging cyber crimes, according to the FBI, costing at least $3 billion in 2025. This type of scam involves criminals sending emails that appear to come from trusted sources — vendors, company CEOs or bank representatives. The public sector is not immune to this. Arlington, Mass., lost $446,000 in 2024 after cyber criminals monitored email and sent fraudulent payment requests posing as a vendor. More recently, a North Dakota school district lost $4.92 million in a similar scam involving redirected payments.
Government impersonation scams are also on the rise, generating more than 32,000 complaints. According to the Federal Trade Commission, these schemes involve someone claiming to be from a government agency such as the IRS or local government office, and demanding payment to resolve an issue such as a permit or paperwork delay. In Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin, state and local entities have recently posted public service announcements about scammers requesting fake fees to process permits.
The crime report also includes tech support scams resulting in $2.1 billion in losses and extortion at $122.5 million. Those from romance or confidence scams, think catfishing via dating apps, totaled $929.3 million.
The FBI urges victims to report scams as soon as possible and to document all details, noting that quick action can help recover stolen funds. For state and local governments, the report highlights the growing importance of public awareness efforts and internal training as scams become more sophisticated and harder to detect.
