$AI $17 billion in 2025: �
Chainalysis +1
Chainalysis
TechRepublic
2026 Crypto Crime Report: Scams
AI-Powered Crypto Scams Drive Record $17B Losses in 2025
January 14
January 14
📉 Record Crypto Scam Losses in 2025
• Total estimated losses: Over $17 billion in cryptocurrency scams and fraud during 2025 — the highest on record. �
• On-chain flows: At least $14 billion has been tracked on blockchain addresses so far, with the figure expected to grow as more illicit wallets are identified. �
• Average victim loss: The average scam payment jumped from about $782 in 2024 to roughly $2,764 in 2025 — a 253 % increase, meaning fraudsters are hitting victims harder with bigger amounts. �
Chainalysis
CoinPasar
Decrypt
🤖 How AI Is Being Used by Scammers
AI isn’t just a buzzword in crime — it’s being actively weaponized: �
TechRepublic
AI-Powered Impersonation & Deepfakes
Scammers are using AI to create highly convincing deepfake videos, voice clones, and synthetic identities that mimic real people, including influencers, executives, and even government officials. These tools make deceit far harder to spot. �
Decrypt
Industrial-Scale Fraud Tools
Rather than simple spam emails, sophisticated “phishing-as-a-service” platforms and automated AI chat systems let criminals reach thousands of victims at once with tailored messaging. �
TechRepublic
Huge ROI for Scammers
Chainalysis data shows AI-linked scams yielded about 4.5× more revenue per operation than traditional scams — around $3.2 million vs. ~$719,000. That means AI is making scams not just smarter but far more profitable. �
Decrypt
🔥 The Biggest Tactics Driving Losses
Here’s what’s fueling the surge: �
Tom's Hardware +1
1. Impersonation Scams
These are now the fastest-growing type of scam, with year-over-year increases exceeding 1,400 %. Attackers pose as trusted entities such as crypto exchanges, service providers, or officials to trick victims into sending funds. �
FastBull
2. High-Yield Investment & “Pig Butchering” Schemes
Fraudsters lure victims with fake investment returns, often building trust over weeks or months before persuading them to send large crypto payments. These scams remain dominant by volume. �
Asia Times
3. Sophisticated Money-Laundering Networks
AI-enabled scams aren’t just stealing wallets — they’re tied into complex laundering operations that move funds across chains and jurisdictions, making recovery harder. �
TechRepublic
🌍 Organized Crime & Global Scale
This isn’t just random hackers in basements — analysts say entire networks now operate like industrial organizations. Some are even linked to groups using forced labor in regions like Southeast Asia to run scam operations. �
Chainalysis
Law enforcement has ramped up efforts, including record seizures (e.g., large Bitcoin recoveries in the UK and multi-billion-dollar takedowns), but the scale of fraud is enormous. �
Chainalysis
📊 What It Means for Crypto Users
• More convincing scams — AI makes fake communications much harder to spot. �
• Higher individual losses — victims are losing thousands, not just hundreds per incident. �
• Ongoing growth expected — estimates suggest scam totals could rise further as more illicit wallets are identified. �
Cybernews
Decrypt
CoinPasar
📌 Summary
$17 billion+ lost in crypto scams in 2025 — a record high. �
Chainalysis
AI and impersonation tactics are among the biggest drivers of this surge. �
TechRepublic
Scammers are leveraging AI to create deepfakes, automated phishing, and highly persuasive fraud campaigns. �
Decrypt
Losses per victim and per scam are significantly higher than previous years. �
Decrypt#BinanceHODLerBREV #USNonFarmPayrollReport $AI
