GoKawiilThe FBI says that a sharp rise in scams saw cybersecurity crime cost US victims a total of almost $21 billion last year. The most common example was investment scams, with cryptocurrency fraud responsible for the largest losses.
The report includes AI-related scams for the first time. The agency says that the use of voice cloning, forged documents, and deepfake videos were responsible for £893m in losses …
A sharp rise in scams
The figures were revealed in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Report 2025, published this week.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 1,008,597 total complaints, an increase from 859,532 in 2024. Phishing/spoofing, extortion, and investment schemes were the most frequently reported complaints […] The IC3 received approximately 453,000 cyber-enabled fraud complaints, with reported losses exceeding $17.7 billion. Investment fraud remains the primary driver, accounting for nearly 49% of all scam-related losses. Americans who submitted complaints involving cryptocurrency reported the highest losses, with 181,565 complaints totaling more than $11 billion.
An AI-powered fraud is a growing threat. It’s now relatively trivial for scammers to create realistic-sounding spoofs of the voice of a friend or family member, with deepfake videos also on the rise.
For the first time in its nearly 25-year history, the IC3 report features a section on artificial intelligence, which accounts for 22,364 complaints, costing Americans nearly $893 million.
How to protect yourself & your family
One of the FBI’s key messages is that scammers typically use tactics that create a sense of urgency. These include fake transaction receipts which need to be disputed within a very short time, bank accounts that need to be “protected” by transferring funds, fines that need to be paid immediately to avoid arrest, and supposed family members in need of immediate financial support in an emergency situation.
The agency says that it’s vital to “take a beat” when faced with a seemingly urgent situation.
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