Crypto scams are still a massive problem. Chainalysis estimates that on-chain scams raked in at least $14 billion in 2025, with the final figure possibly exceeding $17 billion. The FBI recorded over 1 million internet-crime complaints last year, with reported losses nearing $21 billion. As fraudsters get more creative, two Russian crypto commentators are telling newcomers to stop chasing free money and start working for it.
Chainalysis: $14B in on-chain scam losses in 2025
The numbers are staggering. Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, estimates that crypto scams received at least $14 billion on-chain in 2025, and the real number could be higher. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged more than 1 million complaints in 2025, with reported losses of nearly $21 billion. Nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to scams said the contact started on social media — those cases alone accounted for $2.1 billion in losses.
Task scams on the rise
One particularly nasty variant is the 'task scam.' The US Federal Trade Commission received about 20,000 reports of task scams in just the first half of 2024 — four times the total for all of 2023. Overall job-scam losses topped $220 million in those six months. The FBI says these scams often start on social media, WhatsApp, or Telegram. Fraudsters pose as recruiters, offer simple online tasks, then demand victims deposit their own money — usually in crypto — to continue or withdraw earnings.
Koshelev and Ten: 'Work in the industry'
Russian crypto commentators Konstantin 'CryptoDed' Koshelev and Alexey Ten have a blunt message: stop trying to extract free money from crypto. Koshelev says people can enter the industry without buying tokens by working in software development, social media, community management, or influencer relations. Ten adds that legitimate opportunities exist in community work, business development, marketing, content, research, and customer support. 'The safer route is to work inside the industry rather than depend on airdrops or repeatedly chase new projects,' Ten said.
Bitvocation data: 74% of Bitcoin jobs are non-developer
A snapshot from Bitvocation, a specialist Bitcoin jobs platform, tracked 1,801 Bitcoin-sector job listings in 2025. Of those, 74% were non-developer roles, and 45% offered remote work. Marketing manager was a leading non-technical job. The data is just a snapshot, but it shows there are real jobs out there. Koshelev says his regular work produces the cash flow he later uses for investing — not the other way around.
Red flags: deposit required, unknown site, unsolicited offers
For beginners, the practical route is to choose one skill businesses already pay for, create examples of work, and apply through company career pages or established professional networks. A crypto role should pay you for work. Any 'job' that asks you to deposit funds, connect a wallet to an unknown site, or pay to unlock earnings should be treated as a scam. Ten warns that 99% of unsolicited money-making offers are scams — a figure that matches official guidance, even if it's hard to verify literally.
The message from those who've been in the space for years is clear: treat crypto like any other industry. Get a job, do the work, and invest later. The free-money promises are almost always traps.
