Crypto Scams Soar to Record $17B in 2025, AI at the Center

Published by

Nidhi Kolhapur

January 17, 2026

Ledger and Trezor Users Targeted by Offline Phishing Scam

Crypto scams hit an all-time high in 2025, with AI-driven schemes causing massive losses, Chainalysis reports. Illicit addresses received over $14B, likely crossing $17B as more wallets are tracked. Impersonation scams surged 1,400% YoY, while AI-linked groups made 4.5× more money with 9× the daily transactions. Industrialized “Lighthouse” scam kits generated $1.5M over 3 years. Asia remains a hotspot, and average victim losses skyrocketed 253%, from $782 to $2,764. Major law enforcement actions targeted $15B in fraud.

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