Impersonation Fraud Drives Record $17bn in Crypto Losses (Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine)

Cryptocurrency-related fraud losses hit record highs last year, thanks in part to AI tooling and sophisticated Asian crime networks, according to Chainalysis. The blockchain analytics company said in a blog post that it observed at least $14bn in digital currency winding its way to criminals last year, versus $13bn in 2024. However, it expects the figure for 2025 to increase to $17bn once it identifies more illicit wallets in the coming months. This is already a record high, with the value of individual scam payments also surging, by 253% year-on-year (YoY) to $2764 in 2025.

Impersonation Fraud Drives Record $17bn in Crypto Losses – Infosecurity Magazine