Cybercrime losses in 2025 reached unprecedented levels, almost hitting the $21 billion mark as detailed in the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report. This represents a 26% increase compared to the previous year, highlighting a significant rise in online criminal activity.
Significant Rise in Complaints
The FBI documented 1,008,597 complaints in 2025, reflecting over $20.8 billion in reported losses. This is a notable increase from the 860,000 complaints and $16.6 billion in losses recorded in 2024. Phishing and spoofing scams were among the most frequently reported crimes, alongside extortion and investment fraud.
Investment-related crimes emerged as the primary source of reported financial loss, accounting for more than $8.6 billion. Business Email Compromise (BEC) followed with $3 billion in losses, while tech support scams resulted in $2.1 billion in losses. Extortion-related crimes contributed just over $122 million to the total losses.
Cryptocurrency Fraud on the Rise
Cryptocurrency investment scams proved particularly damaging, responsible for over $7.2 billion in losses. These schemes typically involve perpetrators contacting victims via text messages, social media platforms, advertisements, or dating apps. Victims are deceived into joining fraudulent investment groups and persuaded to transfer assets to fake investment platforms.
Victims often encounter further exploitation when attempting to withdraw funds, facing demands for taxes and fees as a final scam tactic before the criminals disappear with the funds. Additionally, recovery scams have targeted victims, falsely offering assistance to reclaim lost funds.
Broader Cyber Threat Landscape
Over the past six years, the FBI has received more than 5.2 million reports of malicious online activities, with cumulative losses surpassing $70 billion. The IC3 report also warns of increasing threats such as network hijacking, cryptocurrency thefts, and corporate espionage, often orchestrated by state-sponsored actors.
In 2025 alone, numerous complaints were logged concerning data breaches, botnets, malware, ransomware, and SIM swap attacks. Ransomware-related losses exceeded $32 million, impacting critical sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and government services. Prominent ransomware variants included Akira, Qilin, BianLian, and Lockbit.
As cybercriminal tactics continue to evolve, the FBI’s findings underscore the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and awareness to mitigate these threats.
