The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) logged 181,565 cryptocurrency-related complaints from Americans in 2025, with reported losses exceeding $11.366 billion. That figure represents more than half of the total $20.877 billion in internet-crime losses recorded by the agency last year, according to the IC3's annual report released this week.
The numbers that stand out
Crypto-related complaints surged in both volume and dollar amount. The $11.366 billion in losses is a staggering sum, even by the standards of an industry used to eye-popping numbers. The category encompasses everything from investment fraud and romance scams to ransomware payments routed through digital currencies. The IC3's total internet-crime losses of $20.877 billion — meaning crypto was the vehicle for 54% of all reported dollar losses.
The kiosk problem
A fast-growing slice of the crypto scam landscape involves physical kiosks. The FBI recorded 13,460 complaints tied to crypto kiosk transactions, generating $389 million in losses. These machines, often found in convenience stores or gas stations, let users deposit cash to buy crypto — and scammers have weaponized them. Victims are instructed to go to a kiosk, deposit cash, and send the crypto to a wallet controlled by the fraudster. The losses are real and hard to reverse.
Older victims hit hardest
Victims aged 60 and older accounted for $257.4 million of the kiosk losses alone — about two-thirds of the total. That demographic is especially vulnerable to tech-support scams, impersonation calls, and fake investment pitches that lead them to the machines. The IC3 report underscores that crypto scams aren't just a young person's problem; they're draining retirement accounts.
The FBI is expected to ramp up public awareness campaigns aimed at older Americans, and some state regulators are already eyeing tighter rules on kiosk operators. But the sheer volume of complaints — 181,565 in a single year — suggests enforcement alone won't stop the flow. The 2026 numbers won't be out until next year, but if the trend holds, crypto losses could climb even higher.
