Report estimates $17 billion worth of bitcoin was stolen in 2025 alone —massive haul arises from impersonation tactics and the use of AI for scams

In 2025, crypto scams reached a peak with an estimated $17 billion stolen, marking a significant increase from previous years. The rise in AI-generated deepfakes, phishing, and impersonation tactics contributed to this surge in fraudulent activity. Chainalysis reported a 253% year-over-year increase in average payments made to crypto scammers, with an average payment in 2025 totaling $2,764. Impersonation scams, particularly those involving governmental agencies, saw a 1400% growth in 2025 compared to the previous year. AI-powered scams were notably more successful, extracting 4.5 times more money than traditional social engineering tactics, with an average daily revenue of $4,838 for AI-generated scams.