Investment & Crypto Scam Statistics
Reported losses to fraudulent investment schemes and cryptocurrency scams, from FBI IC3, FTC, and ACCC official reports.
Last reviewed: 7 July 2026
Investment fraud — including cryptocurrency-based schemes — has become the single costliest category of consumer fraud by reported dollar losses in the United States and Australia. Criminals typically pose as legitimate brokers or use fake trading platforms, often after building trust through romance scams or unsolicited social-media contact.
Figures below come from named official reports for the years stated. Cryptocurrency losses are particularly hard to recover once transferred, and under-reporting is high because many victims only realise they have been defrauded when they try to withdraw funds.
Key figures
$11,366,669,732 across 181,565 complaints in 2025 — a 22% increase on 2024
Reported losses in complaints involving cryptocurrency (US, FBI IC3)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (2025)
$837.7 million in 2025 — the highest-loss category
Reported investment scam losses (Australia)
Source: ACCC / National Anti-Scam Centre Targeting Scams Report 2025 (2025)
$8,648,617,756 in 2025, up from $6,570,639,864 in 2024
Investment fraud losses (US, FBI IC3, 2025)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (2025)
$7.9 billion in 2025 — the top FTC loss category
Investment scam losses (US, FTC, 2025)
Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel Network data (as reported by AARP) (2025)
$351 M across 4,409 reports in 2025 — the top fraud type by reported dollar loss
Investment scam losses (Canada, CAFC)
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — Top 10 frauds in 2025 (2025)
$7.228 billion across 61,559 complaints in 2025 — a 25% increase in losses from 2024
Cryptocurrency investment fraud losses (US, FBI IC3, 2025)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (2025)
$389 million across 13,460 complaints in 2025 — a 58% increase in losses from 2024
Cryptocurrency ATM/kiosk fraud losses (US, FBI IC3, 2025)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (2025)
$1.4 billion across 10,516 complaints in 2025
Recovery scam losses (US, FBI IC3, 2025)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (2025)
About $336.2 million in 2025 — the highest among the various scam types, a 4.8% increase from about $320.7 million in 2024
Investment scam losses (Singapore, 2025)
Source: Singapore Police Force Annual Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025 (2025)
$5.7 billion in 2024 — the largest FTC fraud category
Reported investment fraud losses (US, FTC)
Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024 (2024)
At least S$320.7 million in 2024 — the highest of any scam type
Investment scam losses (Singapore, 2024)
Source: Channel NewsAsia — At least S$1.1 billion lost to scams in 2024 (Singapore Police Force data) (2024)
Key takeaways
- Investment fraud is the costliest reported fraud category in both the US (per FTC and FBI IC3) and Australia (per ACCC).
- According to the FBI IC3, reported cryptocurrency-related fraud losses reached $9.3 billion in 2024 — a 66% increase from 2023.
- Pig-butchering scams — where criminals cultivate fake relationships before introducing fraudulent crypto platforms — are a major driver of these losses.
- Losses are largely unrecoverable once cryptocurrency is transferred; victims should treat any unsolicited investment opportunity as high-risk.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the FTC and FBI IC3 give different investment fraud totals?
They use different reporting populations and category definitions. The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network and the FBI's IC3 are separate systems; a victim may report to one, both, or neither. Neither total represents the full scale of investment fraud in the US.
What are the most common investment scam tactics?
According to the FBI IC3, pig-butchering schemes — where criminals build a fake relationship before introducing a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform — account for a large share of reported losses. Other common tactics include fake ICOs, pump-and-dump schemes, and impersonation of legitimate brokers.
Can cryptocurrency fraud losses be recovered?
Rarely. Once cryptocurrency is transferred to a scammer-controlled wallet, recovery is extremely difficult. The FBI and FTC both advise reporting immediately to IC3.gov and the relevant financial institution, but most victims do not recover their funds.