Reported online crime losses rise past $20 billion
Money lost to reported online crime keeps climbing, even as people and companies are more aware of scams.
A fake email, a fake boss, a fake bank alert, a fake investment page: the internet is no longer just where scams happen. It is where trust gets manufactured.
Reported losses crossed $20.8 billion in 2025, about five times the 2020 level.
- scammers can copy trusted brands and people more cheaply
- payments can move fast before doubt catches up
- personal data leaks make fake messages feel specific
- AI lowers the cost of believable writing, voice, and targeting
You now need a verification habit for money decisions the same way you need a lock on your front door.
Behind the numbersOpen
Observed values come from FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center annual reports. The metric is reported losses, not all losses; many victims never report because of shame, confusion, or not knowing where to report. Values are in billions of U.S. dollars. The 2025 IC3 report says reported losses reached $20.877 billion from more than 1 million complaints. Earlier annual reports list $4.2B in 2020, $6.9B in 2021, $10.3B in 2022, $12.5B in 2023, and $16.6B in 2024. Projection is a direction call based on the 2020–2025 path, not an FBI forecast.