FBI Report Reveals $5.6 Billion Losses from Cryptocurrency Scams in 2023

Source Livebitcoinnews

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its cryptocurrency fraud report 2023, revealing that Americans lost an astonishing $5.6 billion due to crypto-related scams. This is an increase of 45% compared to the previous year.

The report reveals that a tenth of all complaints reported to the FBI involved cryptocurrency-related scams. However, as highlighted above, these complaints contributed to nearly half of the overall losses. This has brought out the adverse effects of crypto fraud, as depicted in the article.

75% of Fraud Victims Unaware They’ve Been Scammed, FBI Reports

According to the report, of the 69,000 complaints regarding cryptocurrencies, people over the age of 60 were the most vulnerable and lost about $1.6 billion. The most common type of fraud noticed was investment schemes, which constituted 70% of all cases. Other categories included call centre scams and government impostor scams, accounting for 10% of the reports.

Another disturbing fact is the possibility of labor trafficking being connected to crypto scams. People are tricked into taking jobs overseas, especially in call centres, due to ‘pig butchering’ scams. These schemes entail the development of friendly relationships with the victims before making them part with their money in fraudulent business ventures.

The other popular scams identified were play-to-earn, where users buy tokens for online games and their wallets are frozen, and fake cryptocurrency recovery services for those who have already lost their money.

James Barnacle, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, warned that recovering money lost through these scams is “slim.” He also shared a concerning statistic: Of the 3,000 people who have received the FBI notification about being fraud victims this year, 75% of them have no clue that they were fraud victims.

The current report demonstrates how the problem of cryptocurrency scams is becoming increasingly severe and how it is high time to address this issue more actively.

 

The post FBI Report Reveals $5.6 Billion Losses from Cryptocurrency Scams in 2023 appeared first on Live Bitcoin News.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Pinduoduo Earnings Incoming: Morgan Stanley Sees Long-Term Profit Potential​Insights – On November 21, Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo (PDD) will release its Q3 2024 earnings.
Author  Mitrade
Nov 20, 2024
​Insights – On November 21, Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo (PDD) will release its Q3 2024 earnings.
placeholder
Bitcoin ETF Inflows For 2025 Now Outpace 2024, Data ShowsUS Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen more inflows this year so far compared to the same point in 2024, according to data.
Author  Bitcoinist
Jul 16, 2025
US Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen more inflows this year so far compared to the same point in 2024, according to data.
placeholder
Bitcoin briefly loses 2025 gains as crypto plunges over the weekend.Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant. The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year. Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus. Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses. Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
Author  Mitrade
Nov 17, 2025
Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant. The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year. Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus. Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses. Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
placeholder
Gold Price Forecast: US Treasury Yield Slump Pushes Gold Above $4,500, Will Gold Keep Rising?As of the Asian session on August 20, gold prices (XAUUSD) surged again today after breaking above $4,500 on Wednesday, reaching a nearly two-month high of $4,527.12 before pulling back i
Author  TradingKey
Aug 20, Thu
As of the Asian session on August 20, gold prices (XAUUSD) surged again today after breaking above $4,500 on Wednesday, reaching a nearly two-month high of $4,527.12 before pulling back i
placeholder
Ethereum Price Forecast: BitMine scoops 32K ETH, hints at further gainsEthereum (ETH) treasury company BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) expanded its digital asset holdings last week with another round of acquisitions.
Author  FXStreet
Yesterday 01: 29
Ethereum (ETH) treasury company BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) expanded its digital asset holdings last week with another round of acquisitions.
goTop
quote