#CryptoScamSurge
đ Rise in Crypto Scams: The Big Picture
đš Crypto scams surged by 456% globally between May 2024 and April 2025, thanks to AIâpowered techniques like voice deepfakes and synthetic credentials that impersonate trusted contacts. In the U.S., losses exceeded $3.9âŻbillion, with nearly 150,000 reported fraud casesâthough underreporting suggests the real toll is likely higher .
Domestic losses in the U.S. reached $9.3âŻbillion in 2024 alone, per FBI data .
Scam-related wallet thefts and phishing incidents cost the crypto industry nearly $2.5âŻbillion in the first half of 2025 .
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đ§ Scam Types Fueling the Surge
1. AIâdriven Deepfakes & Voice Clones
Scammers impersonate loved ones or authority figures using AI audio or video, tricking victims into sending crypto urgently .
2. PigâButchering Romance/Investment Frauds
Long-term social engineering builds fake relationships to coerce victims into significant investments, often ending in sudden fund disappearance. These scams accounted for over 40% growth, reaching $6âŻbillion in early 2025 alone .
3. DeFi Rug Pulls & Honeypots
Developers build hype and then collapse the project, draining usersâ funds. While fewer incidents occurred in early 2025 compared to early 2024, financial damage soaredâmainly from memecoin-related rug pulls