(The Center Square) – Americans lost more than $20 billion to cryptocurrency and other online scams in 2025, a 26% increase over the year before, according to the latest figures from the FBI.
Online fraud is rising fast. Scams that use cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence are getting smarter. This makes it hard for people, especially seniors, to tell what is real and what is a scam. The new FBI data shows these scams are becoming a bigger problem, and police are trying to fight back.
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 uqxVD a_ad x?E6C?6E rC:>6 #6A@CE[ ?62C=J S``]c 3:==:@? @7 =2DE J62CVD Sa_ 3:==:@? :? @?=:?6 D42> =@DD6D 42>6 7C@> 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J D42>D] ~7 E92E[ Sf]a 3:==:@? C6DF=E65 7C@> 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J :?G6DE>6?E D42>D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE 2=D@ D2JD E92E D6?:@CD 2C6 E96 >@DE =:<6=J E@ =@D6 >@?6J E@ D42>D] !6@A=6 286D e_ 2?5 @=56C =@DE 23@FE Sf]f 3:==:@?[ H9:49 :D bfT >@C6 E92? :? a_ac]k^Am
kAmx? a_ad[ E96 uqx C646:G65 g`[ded 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J\C6=2E65 4@>A=2:?ED[ 2 a`T :?4C62D6 7C@> a_ac] %96D6 C6A@CED 244@F?E65 7@C S``]c 3:==:@? :? =@DD6D[ H:E9 2? 2G6C286 :?5:G:5F2= =@DD @7 Sea[e_c] ~G6C `g[d__ 4@>A=2:?ED :?G@=G65 =@DD6D 6I4665:?8 S`__[___]k^Am
kAmQrCJAE@4FCC6?4J :?G6DE>6?E D42>D 2C6 D@A9:DE:42E65 =@?8\E6C> D42>D FD:?8 ADJ49@=@8:42= >2?:AF=2E:@?[ E96 2AA62C2?46 @7 =68:E:>24J[ 2?5 6IA=@:E2E:@? @7 4CJAE@4FCC6?4:6D E@ 5646:G6 G:4E:>D :?E@ :?G6DE:?8 =2C86 DF>D @7 >@?6J[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE] Q%96D6 D42>D 2C6 =2C86=J A6CA6EC2E65 3J @C82?:K65 4C:>:?2= 6?E6CAC:D6D 32D65 :? $@FE962DE pD:2 FD:?8 G:4E:>D @7 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 2D 7@C465 =23@C E@ CF? E96 D42> @A6C2E:@?D]Qk^Am
kAmx? 2 9:89\DE2<6D D496>6[ D42>>6CD 288C6DD:G6=J =FC6 G:4E:>D[ FC8:?8 E96> E@ EC2?D76C 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J E@ 7C2F5F=6?E :?G6DE>6?E A=2E7@C>D @C 2AAD] %96J BF:4<=J D9@H G:4E:>D 723C:42E65 AC@7:ED 2?5 52?8=6 E96 AC@>:D6 @7 =@2?D[ AC6DD:?8 E96> E@ :?G6DE 6G6? >@C6] %96 >@>6?E G:4E:>D 2EE6>AE E@ H:E95C2H 7F?5D[ E96J 2C6 D=2>>65 H:E9 3@8FD E2I6D 2?5 766D[ 2>A=:7J:?8 E96 56G2DE2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96?[ :? 2 7:?2= 3:5 E@ 86E >@C6 >@?6J[ D@>6 @776C C64@G6CJ D42>D E@ E96D6 G:4E:>D]k^Am
kAmQ':4E:>D 2C6 2=D@ E2C86E65 :? C64@G6CJ D42>D[ 4=2:>:?8 E@ 96=A C64@G6C =@DE 7F?5D[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE] Q%96D6 D42>D 2C6 @7E6? 56G2DE2E:?8 3642FD6 E96J 42? =62G6 G:4E:>D H:E9 D:8?:7:42?E 7:?2?4:2= =@DD 2?5 6>@E:@?2= 5:DEC6DD]Qk^Am
kAm%96 uqx H2?ED 6G6CJ@?6 E@ FD6 E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]73:]8@G^9@H\H6\42?\96=A\J@F^D42>D\2?5\D276EJ^4@>>@?\7C2F5D\2?5\D42>DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmQ%2<6 2 q62EQk^2mk^DEC@?8m >6E9@5 E@ DA@E D42> H2C?:?8 D:8?D]k^Am
kAmQ#6D:DE AC6DDFC6 E@ 24E BF:4<=J 2?5 2DD6DD E96 D:EF2E:@? 367@C6 EFC?:?8 @G6C >@?6J @C A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@?[Q E96 286?4J H2C?65]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 G:4E:>D @C >2J <?@H G:4E:>D @7 2 7C2F5 @C D42> D9@F=5 42== E96:C =@42= uqx @77:46 @C DF3>:E 2 4@>A=2:?E 2E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]:4b]8@G^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:4b]8@Gk^2mk^DEC@?8m 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm':4E:>D D9@F=5 5@4F>6?E E96 ?2>6 @7 E96 D42>>6C[ E96 4@>A2?J[ E96 >6E9@5D @7 4@?E24E[ E96 52E6D @7 4@?E24E[ E96 >6E9@5D @7 A2J>6?E[ H96C6 7F?5D 92G6 366? D6?E[ 2?5 2 E9@C@F89 56D4C:AE:@? @7 E96 :?E6C24E:@?D]k^Am