Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in online scams that cost Americans nearly $21 billion in 2025, according to the FBI's latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report.
The bureau said AI tools are making it easier for criminals to create convincing fake identities, voice recordings, and video content, increasing the effectiveness of fraud schemes.
"AI-enabled synthetic content is becoming increasingly difficult to detect and easier to make," the report states, noting the technology allows scammers to scale operations and deceive victims more effectively.
In 2025, IC3 recorded more than 22,000 complaints tied to AI-related scams, with losses approaching $893 million.
The FBI said cyber-enabled crime overall generated nearly $21 billion in reported losses across more than 1 million complaints, reflecting the continued expansion of digital fraud.
"Losses reported to IC3 continued to climb, surpassing the $20 billion mark," the report states, with investment-related fraud accounting for the largest share.
Complaints tied specifically to cyber-enabled fraud totaled about 453,000, with losses exceeding $17.7 billion.
Cryptocurrency-related scams produced the highest losses, with more than 181,000 complaints totaling over $11 billion, making them the most costly category tracked.
Investment fraud remained the primary driver overall, exceeding $8 billion in losses and accounting for nearly half of all reported damage.
Other major scam categories included phishing and spoofing attacks, extortion schemes, business email compromise, and tech support fraud.
Government impersonation scams alone accounted for nearly $800 million in reported losses, reflecting the range of tactics used to target victims.
Americans ages 60 and older were among the hardest hit, reporting roughly $7.7 billion in losses, a 37% increase from the prior year.
The FBI said criminals frequently rely on pressure tactics to force victims into quick decisions, often combining multiple methods such as impersonation and digital manipulation.
The bureau continues to expand enforcement efforts, including Operation Level Up, which has notified more than 8,000 potential cryptocurrency scam victims and reduced losses by over $500 million since 2024.
In 2026, the FBI also launched Operation Winter Shield, outlining steps organizations can take to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.
IC3 receives nearly 3,000 complaints per day, providing investigators with data used to identify trends and disrupt criminal networks.
The FBI urged the public to "Take a Beat" before responding to suspicious messages, advising people to verify contacts and avoid sending money or personal information under pressure.
Cybersecurity expert and retired FBI supervisory special agent Scott Augenbaum told Newsmax last month that AI platforms are helping scammers be more effective.
Augenbaum said the AI platform OpenAI recently shut down accounts in China using the platform to scam victims.
"It is a good move, but it's kind of a game of whack-a-mole. How do you verify these types of things?" he asked.
What is more troubling, he added, is the use of AI by people who have some understanding of how the technology can be used.
"Now it's getting into the hands of nation-states," he said, "who are really using it to scale."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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