FBI’s 2025 report shows crime rising faster than defenses

FBI 2025 – The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report finds internet crime complaints passed 1 million for the first time, with reported losses topping $20 billion and AI-driven fraud, phishing, cryptocurrency scams, and rising harm toward minors all accelerating.

On a typical day, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center logs more than 3,000 complaints. By the end of 2025, that pace added up to more than 1 million complaints—an annual total the FBI says is surpassed for the first time.

The report also puts a price tag on the damage: losses tied to online criminal activity topped $20 billion last year. That figure is more than $4 billion higher than 2024’s total, and more than double what was reported four years ago. Federal officials have been trying to push back. but the numbers show how hard it is to slow the flow once criminals find new ways in.

And there’s a painful caveat baked into the FBI’s account: the actual total is likely far higher, since many victims never report these crimes.

The 2025 report lays out six major takeaways that connect the same story in different ways—more fraud, more tools for criminals, and growing pressure on specific groups.

AI-driven crimes are exploding

Artificial intelligence is moving from novelty to a weapon. Last year, the Internet Crime Complaint Center received 22,364 complaints of AI-related cybercrimes. Those complaints resulted in more than $893 million in losses.

The report points to a brutal evolution in blackmail and deception. Criminals have long used altered videos and images, but AI can generate far more convincing fakes that are increasingly difficult to spot. At the same time, the tools needed to create those deepfakes are becoming more accessible.

AI is also changing the way criminals approach targets. AI-powered chatbots can mimic corporate executives, tricking employees into wiring money or clicking phishing links. Romance scams are following the same playbook, with the report noting that AI is increasingly used to deceive victims.

The FBI’s message is blunt: this is a trend that’s likely to escalate rapidly in the years ahead.

Beware phishing and crypto

Not all crimes grow in the same way—but many grow in volume.

Phishing and spoofing generated the highest number of complaints tracked by the FBI last year. Nearly 192,000 victims reported losses from those schemes, totaling more than $215 million.

Investment scams may have fewer complaints, but they are devastating in scale. The FBI received just under 73,000 complaints in that category—yet losses reached $8.6 billion in 2025.

Cryptocurrency scams add another layer. Complaints involving cryptocurrency rose 21% from 2024, reaching 181,565. Losses tied to those complaints hit $11.4 billion, a 22% increase. The FBI also flags who is most at risk: people 40 and up were especially vulnerable to these scams.

Targeting the young

Cybercriminals have not always centered their efforts on the youngest internet users. The report says that is shifting.

It describes a “serious rise in cybercrimes targeting minors (17 years old or younger),” driven by sextortion, cyberbullying, and online grooming. Last year, there were more than 13,000 complaints and almost $13 billion in losses, with an average loss of $986.

The FBI highlights a group it calls “764,” an online presence that coerces children into engaging in self-harm, animal cruelty, and suicidal acts on live stream.

The report also notes that teenage hackers are on the rise—one more sign that the threat is not only changing its tools, but its reach.

Growing threats across the categories

Looking at the dollar losses across the FBI’s categories from the past three years shows where criminals have found the most room to profit.

Investment scams show some of the biggest growth: losses rose from $4.6 billion in 2023 to $8.6 billion last year. Lottery, sweepstakes, and inheritance scams more than doubled over the same period, climbing from $94 million to $194 million.

Tech support and customer support scams brought in $2.1 billion last year—an increase of 131% from 2023.

Elder fraud remains the preference

If younger victims are increasingly in the crosshairs, seniors remain a favorite target.

Complaints from people over the age of 60 rose 37% last year to more than 201,000. Losses from that demographic topped $7.7 billion, a 59% increase from 2024. Three years prior, the total was less than $3 billion.

The largest share of senior losses came from investment scams, with more than $3.5 billion stolen. Fake tech and customer support outreach schemes cost seniors another $1 billion.

The report says virtually every category it tracks saw increased complaints from people over 60 last year. The biggest leaps were in confidence/romance scams, government impersonation, investment scams, and phishing.

Taken together, the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report sketches a consistent picture: crime is not just rising—it is adapting. From AI-enhanced deepfakes and chatbots to phishing and cryptocurrency schemes. the number of complaints is climbing and the losses keep swelling. And because reporting still falls short of reality. the real scope likely remains out of view—until another set of numbers makes it impossible to ignore.

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