Crypto fraud data can describe different things: reports made to an agency, a payment method used in a reported scam, or activity traced on public blockchains. These figures are kept separate here so the numbers remain useful in context.
$11.366 billion
reported U.S. losses involving cryptocurrency
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 181,565 complaints involving cryptocurrency in 2025. The reported losses were 22% higher than in 2024.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.$62,604
average reported loss per crypto-related complaint
This average comes from the FBI’s 2025 cryptocurrency complaint data. It is an average across complaints, not a typical result for every victim.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.$7.228 billion
reported losses from crypto investment fraud
Investment fraud accounted for 61,559 U.S. complaints involving cryptocurrency in 2025, the largest loss category in the FBI’s cryptocurrency data.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.$389 million
reported losses involving crypto ATMs and kiosks
The FBI recorded 13,460 U.S. complaints involving a cryptocurrency ATM or kiosk in 2025. More than half of those complaints involved people over age 50.
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.$1.42 billion
reported FTC fraud losses paid with cryptocurrency
For 2024, cryptocurrency was the second-largest payment method by total fraud losses reported to the FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, behind bank transfers and payments.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024, published March 2025.$17 billion
estimated global crypto scam and fraud losses
Chainalysis estimates that crypto scams and fraud stole $17 billion worldwide in 2025. This is an on-chain estimate, not a count of U.S. consumer complaints.
Source: Chainalysis, 2026 Crypto Crime Report: Scams, published January 2026.What these figures do and do not show
Reported losses are not a complete count of all fraud. Many people never report a scam, and different organizations collect data in different ways. The FBI figures above describe complaints with a cryptocurrency connection. The FTC figure describes fraud reports where cryptocurrency was identified as the payment method. The Chainalysis figure is a global estimate based on identified on-chain activity.
That difference matters. A statistic should retain its source, year, geography, and definition when it is cited. A reported loss total is not the same as an estimate of all illicit activity, and neither figure predicts the risk of a particular wallet, exchange, or transaction.
Useful warning signs
- Someone you have only met online asks you to send cryptocurrency or scan a QR code.
- A caller claims to be from a bank, government agency, utility, exchange, or support team and says payment must be made in crypto.
- An investment opportunity promises unusually steady returns, creates urgency, or asks you to move funds to a wallet you do not control.
- A person or company offers to recover money from an earlier scam in exchange for an upfront crypto payment.
For a practical comparison of self-custody options, read the hardware wallet buying guide or the guide to hardware wallets versus software wallets.
Methodology and sources
This page uses named primary sources where available. Figures are presented as the source reports them, including whether a number is reported, estimated, U.S.-specific, or global. It was last checked on August 10, 2026.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024, published March 2025.
- Chainalysis, 2026 Crypto Crime Report: Scams, published January 2026.
Cite this page
BCSLTLLC. “Crypto Scam Statistics: 2025 Losses, Complaints, and Fraud Data.” Updated August 10, 2026.
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