The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says cryptocurrency investment fraud increased 183% from $907 million in 2021 to $2.57 billion in 2022, according to data from its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI also warned the public about “an increase in cryptocurrency investment schemes.”
FBI Crypto Crime Statistics
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its 2022 Internet Crime Report last week. The report is compiled using data from the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which “serves as a public resource for filing reports of cyberattacks and incidents,” the office described.
“In 2022, investment scams were the most costly scheme reported to the IC3. Investment fraud complaints increased from $1.45 billion in 2021 to $3.31 billion in 2022, representing an (increase) of 127%,” the FBI wrote, adding:
Within those complaints, cryptocurrency investment fraud increased from $907 million in 2021 to $2.57 billion in 2022, an increase of 183%.
“Crypto investment scams saw unprecedented increases in the number of victims and dollar losses for these investors. Many victims have assumed massive debts to cover the losses of these fraudulent investments and the most objective age group that denounces this type of scam are the victims between 30 and 49 years old”, the report details.
The FBI also highlighted cryptocurrency investment scams prevalent in 2022, such as those involving liquidity mining, hacked social media accounts, celebrity impersonation, real estate professionals, and employment.
Following the release of its latest Internet Crime Report, the FBI issued a public service announcement on Monday, warning the public of “an increase in cryptocurrency investment schemes.”
Citing data from IC3, the office explained: “Criminals, usually based abroad, defrauded victims of more than US$2 billion in 2022 using these schemes.” The ad states:
The schemes are socially engineered and trust-enabled, typically starting with a romance or trust scam and evolving into a cryptocurrency investment fraud.
What do you think about the crypto fraud warning and crime statistics from the FBI? Let us know in the comments section.
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