If someone you've only talked to online or by phone asks you to send them crypto, or to put cash into a crypto ATM, treat it as a scam. The FTC says only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency (FTC), the FBI says don't send payment to someone you've only spoken to online (FBI), and crypto payments usually can't be reversed. Americans reported $11.366 billion lost in 181,565 crypto-related complaints to the FBI in 2025, up 22% from 2024 (FBI IC3). Below: a red-flag check, how the main scams work, your state's numbers, and where to report.
Checked Oct. 25, 2026
Check anything that's happening to you. Runs on your phone; nothing is sent anywhere. The first nine are things a federal agency says only scammers do; the last five are warning signs.
| What | Complaints | Reported losses | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any complaint involving crypto | 181,565 | $11.366 billion | +21% complaints, +22% losses |
| Crypto investment fraud | 61,559 | $7.228 billion | +48% complaints, +25% losses |
| Crypto ATMs / kiosks | 13,460 | $389 million | +23% complaints, +58% losses |
| Recovery scams (all payment types) | 10,516 | $1.4 billion | more complaints about fake recovery firms and government officials |
Average reported crypto loss: $62,604; 18,589 people reported losing more than $100,000. People 60 and over reported $4.432 billion in crypto losses, more than any other age group, including $257.5 million through crypto kiosks. These are complaints people filed, not verified totals, and most scams are never reported. IC3's trends page gives $7.228 billion for crypto investment fraud; its crime-type table gives $7,277,868,919.
| Crime type | Complaints | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | 61,559 | $7.278 billion |
| Tech/customer support | 17,355 | $1.226 billion |
| Personal data breach | 13,486 | $939.4 million |
| Confidence/romance | 5,925 | $394.8 million |
| Employment | 10,338 | $288.2 million |
| Government impersonation | 5,955 | $281.1 million |
| Phishing/spoofing | 7,164 | $111.0 million |
| Extortion | 23,797 | $63.2 million |
Top 8 by loss or count, IC3 2025 report pp. 54-55. A complaint can involve crypto and other payments.
Contact starts with a text, social media message, ad or dating app, then moves to a messaging app. You're shown a trading platform or app that displays fake profits, and may be offered a loan to invest more. When you try to withdraw, you're charged “taxes and fees,” and then the scammers disappear with everything. The FBI says these are largely run by organized crime groups in Southeast Asia, often using trafficking victims as forced labor (FBI IC3 2025). The FBI's Operation Level Up notified 3,780 victims in 2025, and 78% of them didn't know they were being scammed.
A caller or pop-up claims to be the government, your bank or tech support and says your money is at risk. They tell you to withdraw cash, send you to a specific crypto ATM at a store or gas station, and text you a QR code; the cash turns into crypto in their wallet. Scammers have called the machines “safety lockers.” In the first half of 2024 the median reported loss was $10,000, people 60 and over were more than three times as likely to report a loss, and about 86% of these losses involved government impersonation, business impersonation or tech support scams (FTC). FinCEN has warned banks about kiosk scams (FIN-2025-NTC1). The FBI: avoid kiosks that advertise anonymity, and if the kiosk operator calls to warn you a transaction looks like fraud, stop (FBI).
After a first scam, someone contacts you offering to get the money back: a “law firm,” a “recovery company” or a fake government agency, sometimes knowing your exact losses. They ask for fees, often in crypto or gift cards. The FBI says no law firms are official partners of U.S. government agencies, and the government doesn't charge for law enforcement services (FBI).
Fake jobs ask you to pay in crypto or convert a deposited check into crypto for “clients” (the check bounces later and you owe the bank). Impersonators pose as Amazon, Microsoft or your bank. Blackmail emails threaten to release embarrassing material unless you pay in crypto: don't pay, report it to the FBI (FTC).
From the IC3 2025 report (pp. 56-57) and the FBI kiosk-by-state PSA.
Example: Tennessee had 2,854 crypto complaints and $142.0 million in reported losses in 2025 (about $49,757 each), with 348 crypto ATM complaints.
Keep receipts, screenshots and the QR code. Never pay anyone who promises to recover your crypto.
Facts, not legal advice. We republish FBI, FTC, CFTC and FinCEN information with dates. The checklist can't prove something is or isn't a scam. We don't recommend recovery services. No partner links on this page.
The FTC says only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency, guarantee profits, or mix online dating with investment advice. The CFTC says no government agency, legitimate financial institution or reputable company will tell you to move money with a crypto ATM, gift cards or a courier. If any of those is happening, stop.
People filed 181,565 complaints involving cryptocurrency with the FBI's IC3 in 2025, reporting $11.366 billion in losses (up 22% from 2024). Crypto investment fraud alone was 61,559 complaints and $7.228 billion. These are complaints, not verified totals; many scams are never reported.
A scammer, often posing as the government, your bank or tech support, tells you to withdraw cash and feed it into a crypto ATM (kiosk), then scan a QR code they send. The cash becomes crypto in the scammer's wallet. In 2025 the FBI got 13,460 complaints about crypto kiosks with $389 million in losses; people 60 and over filed 6,188 of them.
Usually only if the person you paid sends it back, the FTC says. Report right away to the exchange or kiosk operator and to ic3.gov with the transaction ID, wallet address and kiosk location. Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering to recover it for a fee: the FBI got 10,516 recovery-scam complaints in 2025.
The FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov), the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov), the CFTC (cftc.gov/complaint) or SEC (sec.gov/tcr) for investment fraud, the exchange or kiosk company you used, and your local police. If you're 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833-372-8311.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.