Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes last year, according to new data from the FBI, marking a sharp rise driven by scams like fake investments, business email compromise, tech support fraud, and data breaches.
The total represents a 26 percent increase compared to 2024, when losses stood at $16.6 billion, continuing a steady upward trend.
At the same time, the number of complaints filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center crossed the one million mark for the first time, up from around 859,000 the previous year. Phishing remained the most commonly reported issue, with about 191,000 complaints, followed by extortion and investment scams, both of which continue to generate major financial damage.
While fewer in number, more serious threats like business email compromise, data breaches, ransomware, and SIM swapping still accounted for thousands of cases. Investment scams alone made up nearly half of all fraud-related incidents and caused losses of $8.6 billion. However, crimes involving cryptocurrency led to the biggest financial impact overall, with losses exceeding $11 billion across more than 180,000 cases.
Cyber-enabled fraud appeared in nearly half of all complaints and was responsible for $17.7 billion of the total reported losses. Older Americans were hit the hardest, with people over the age of 60 losing $7.7 billion, a significant jump from the year before.
For the first time, the FBI’s report also tracked scams involving artificial intelligence. These cases included voice cloning, fake identities, forged documents, and deepfake videos, adding up to more than 22,000 complaints and nearly $900 million in losses.
The report also noted incidents affecting critical infrastructure, including cases involving dams and nuclear facilities that were classified as data breaches. The most targeted sectors included healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, information technology, and government organizations.
In response, the FBI says it has stepped up efforts to stop fraud and recover stolen money. Through its Financial Fraud Kill Chain program, the agency intervened in nearly 4,000 cases last year, helping freeze $679 million out of the $1.16 billion targeted by attackers. It also launched initiatives like Operation Level Up to warn potential victims of crypto-related scams, with many people unaware they were being targeted until contacted.
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The FBI continues to advise people to be cautious of urgent or high-pressure requests and to verify any communication before sharing money or sensitive information. Victims or those who suspect fraud are encouraged to report incidents to the IC3 website with full details.
