Stay safe
The scams look different. The signs don't.
Americans reported billions lost to crypto scams in 2025. These are the warning signs regulators see again and again, and where to report one.
Scam alarm
Walk away if you see these
- Someone demands payment in cryptocurrency. Only scammers do that.
- Someone guarantees profits or big returns with no risk. Only scammers make that promise.
- Someone you met online or on a dating app wants to teach you to invest in crypto or asks you to send crypto.
- A message claiming to be from a government agency, a well-known company, your bank, or an employer asks you to pay in crypto.
- An investment site or app shows big profits but won't let you withdraw unless you first pay taxes or fees.
- After you lose money, someone offers to get it back if you pay a fee first, sometimes claiming to be from a government agency.
- Someone threatens to share embarrassing information about you unless you pay in crypto. That's extortion.
Sources: consumer.ftc.gov, page 1, consumer.ftc.gov, page 2, ic3.gov
The numbers
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Scam alarm
Crypto-related losses reported to the FBI in 2025
$11.4 billion 2025
People who filed complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported losing about $11.4 billion in cases that involved cryptocurrency in 2025. That came from 181,565 complaints, up 21% in complaints and 22% in losses from 2024.
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Scam alarm
All internet crime losses reported to the FBI in 2025
$20.9 billion 2025
The IC3 received 1,008,597 complaints in 2025 with $20.877 billion in reported losses. Cases involving cryptocurrency made up more than half of those losses.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 IC3 Annual Report, IC3 Complaints in 2025
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Scam alarm
Crypto investment scams were the biggest source of losses
$7.2 billion 2025
The FBI says cryptocurrency investment fraud was the highest source of financial losses to Americans in 2025. Scammers usually make contact by text, social media, ads, or dating apps, steer victims to fake investment platforms that show fake profits, then charge made-up taxes and fees when victims try to withdraw.
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Scam alarm
Crypto ATM and kiosk scams
$389 million 2025
The IC3 logged 13,460 complaints involving cryptocurrency ATMs or kiosks in 2025, with $389 million in reported losses. Losses were up 58% from 2024.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 IC3 Annual Report, Cryptocurrency Fraud Trends
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Scam alarm
Recovery scams target people who already lost money
$1.4 billion 2025
In 2025 the IC3 received 10,516 complaints about recovery scams, where someone offers to get lost money back and takes more instead. The FBI notes these loss figures may also include money lost in the earlier scam that led to the recovery contact.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 IC3 Annual Report, Recovery Scams
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Scam alarm
People 60 and older lost the most to crypto scams
$4.4 billion 2025
People age 60 and older filed 44,555 crypto-related complaints in 2025 and reported about $4.4 billion in losses, the most of any age group.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 IC3 Annual Report, Crypto Losses by Age Range
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Scam alarm
Fraud losses paid in crypto, FTC data
$1.42 billion 2024
In the FTC's latest published annual data book, people reported losing $1.42 billion to fraud they paid with cryptocurrency in 2024. Only bank transfers and payments had higher reported losses.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024 (published March 2025)
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Scam alarm
Total fraud losses reported to the FTC in 2025
$15.9 billion 2025
People sent the FTC 3 million fraud reports in 2025 and reported $15.9 billion in losses. The FTC says bank payments had the highest total losses by payment method, followed by cryptocurrency, but it didn't give a separate crypto dollar figure in this statement.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Prepared Statement to the Joint Economic Committee, March 25, 2026
Before you buy anything, answer these honestly
Can you explain what you're buying in one sentence?
If not, keep reading before you spend anything.
Did someone reach out to you first?
A stranger, a new online friend or a “mentor” bringing up crypto is how many scams begin.
Do you know who holds the keys?
An exchange, an app, or you. Each one has different risks.
Could you lose this money without missing a bill?
The price can fall sharply, and there's no insurance if it does.
Is anyone rushing you?
Real opportunities don't expire in an hour.
If it already happened
Report it, even if the money feels gone. Reports help investigators, and they protect the next person. Be careful of anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee; that's a scam too.
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Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
File a complaint about online fraud and cyber-enabled crime, including crypto scams.
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ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Report scams, fraud, and bad business practices, including crypto scams.