New FBI Report: $20.9 Billion Lost to Internet Crimes in 2025, Older Adults Hit Hardest

The FBI and the FTC both find continued growth in scams and fraud, with losses skyrocketing

Jessica McMaster,

AARP

Comments

Published April 16, 2026

a one hundred dollar starts to disappear on a bright blue background

Getty Images

Key takeaways

Americans reported more than $20.9 billion lost to internet crimes in 2025, a sharp rise from 2024.
Adults 60 and older suffered the greatest losses, reporting $7.7 billion stolen last year.
Investment, cryptocurrency, tech support and romance scams caused the most financial damage.

Older adults suffered the greatest financial impact from fraud last year, according to the FBI’s 2025 IC3 Annual Report. Americans age 60 and older reported losses of $7.7 billion — about a 60 percent increase from 2024. In comparison, those in their 30s and 40s reported $4.6 billion in losses.

People of all ages filed more than 1 million internet crime complaints with the FBI last year, with reported fraud losses climbing to $20.9 billion — a 26 percent increase over 2024.

These figures likely represent only a fraction of the true toll, since fraud so often goes unreported.

The most financially devastating scams

As usual, investment scams were the most lucrative schemes for criminals. Four of the most devastating crimes, based on reports to IC3, were:

Investment scams: $8.6 billion in reported losses
Cryptocurrency-related fraud: $11.3 billion
Tech and customer support scams: $2.1 billion
Romance scams: $929 million

FTC data

Data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) overlaps with the FBI’s, but the FBI collects reports on internet-based crimes, while the FTC focuses more broadly on consumer scams. (AARP recommends reporting internet-based scams to the FBI “because those reports are the only ones that can potentially lead to investigations, and it helps law enforcement understand the scope of fraud crimes,” says AARP’s senior director of fraud prevention, Kathy Stokes.)

Like the FBI, the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network data found a huge jump in reported fraud losses in 2025 — a record $15.9 billion, up from $12.5 billion in 2024 — based on about 3 million complaints consumers submitted to the agency last year.

The FTC also found that older adults continue to bear the greatest financial burden. In 2025, people age 50 and older reported $4.3 billion lost to fraud, compared with $2.3 billion among younger adults.

Credit cards and payment apps were the most commonly used payment methods in scams reported to the FTC, accounting for $736.9 million in reported losses. Larger amounts (over $4 billion) were lost to criminals through bank transfers or cryptocurrency.

New and escalating trends

Cryptocurrency scams: IC3 data shows crypto-related losses reached $11.3 billion. Scammers often use social media, fake investment platforms and promises of high returns in crypto investment scams, sometimes directing victims to send funds to crypto wallets or kiosks. FTC figures similarly identify investment scams — often tied to cryptocurrency — as the top loss category at $7.9 billion in 2025.

AI-driven fraud: The FBI reported $893 million in losses tied to AI-related scams, including voice cloning for “family in distress” calls and deepfakes in investment schemes. Older adults accounted for $352 million of those losses.

Impostor scams: Government and business impersonation scams continue to grow rapidly, remaining both widespread and costly.

What you can do

Although fraud is often underreported, reporting incidents is critical. It helps law enforcement identify patterns, connect cases and disrupt scams.

Report fraud immediately to your local police and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360) is a free resource offering guidance from trained specialists. The Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions for scam victims.

To protect yourself and your loved ones: Verify unsolicited contacts independently, never send money or cryptocurrency under pressure, use strong two-factor authentication and avoid clicking suspicious links. Share these precautions with family and friends.

Scams continue to rise, but awareness, vigilance and timely reporting can help reduce their impact. Stay safe.

%{postComment}%

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Jessica McMaster is a senior fraud writer for AARP and an award-winning investigative reporter based in Kansas City, Missouri.