Last year, thieves who prey on digital currency set new milestones by robbing individuals worldwide of at least $14 billion. The figure, which reflects the worst year ever for this kind of crime, comes from Chainalysis, a business that monitors illicit behavior in the cryptocurrency space.
Compared to 2024, when crooks stole $12 billion, the losses represent a substantial increase. The amount that each person is losing, however, is considerably more concerning. Victims lost an average of $782 last year. That amount increased by 253% to $2,764 per person this year.
Researchers warn the final tally will probably go higher. As investigators find more fake digital wallets in the months ahead, the year-end numbers typically grow by about 24%.
Criminals turn to AI for bigger paydays
The adoption of artificial intelligence is the primary source of thieves’ increased profits. According to research from Chainalysis, scammers adopting AI technology are earning over $3.2 million per operation, whereas those using traditional techniques only generate about $719,000.
The average daily income of fraudsters with AI capabilities is $4,838, more than ten times the $518 earned by businesses without AI.
In July 2025, J.P. Morgan released a report that demonstrated how thieves are now using deepfake speech and video in romance scams and phony investment schemes called “pig butchering.” Thieves are able to complete more transactions faster than in the past since these convincing fakes make it almost impossible for victims to realize they are being duped.
In December 2025, Brooklyn prosecutors charged 23-year-old Ronald Spektor with stealing $16 million from Coinbase users. The success of the scam is suggested by the claimed $250,000 in incentives given to a former Coinbase customer support employee who revealed information about 70,000 customers. Scammers used this insider information to pose as “support agents” and deceive victims into moving money into “safe” wallets that they actually controlled by making them believe their accounts were in danger.
Police fight back
Law enforcement agencies around the world are stepping up their efforts to keep pace. Will Lyne, head of the Metropolitan Police’s cybercrime unit, said organized crime is operating at a “pace and scale” unlike anything seen before—but emphasized that international cooperation is starting to pay off.
“Through specialist capabilities and the effective use of digital intelligence,” Lyne told me, “we’re in a much stronger position to identify criminal networks, seize illicit assets, and disrupt activity that harms our communities.”
Still, data from 2025 shows the challenge is growing. As AI becomes a widely used tool for fraud, it’s increasingly difficult to tell the difference between legitimate online services and sophisticated criminal traps.
