Cyber-enabled crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion in 2025, a 26% increase from the previous year, according to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report. Phishing, extortion, and investment scams were the most commonly reported attacks, with AI-related scams driving some of the costliest losses. Phishing was the top attack vector, with these attacks leading to more than $215 million in losses.
Notably, AI-assisted business email compromise (BEC) attacks cost victims more than $30 million.
“Chat generators can quickly create official-sounding emails mimicking a company's CEO or other officials,” the report says. “These emails can contain phishing links or directions to wire funds. Voice cloning can also be used to request wire payment or provide employee data. There are multiple BEC tactics, and not all are AI-enabled. In 2025, businesses reported losses over $30 million to BEC scams involving AI.”
Investment scams were the primary driver of theft, accounting for just under half of the losses.
“Subjects in investment scams often use AI to enhance their conversations with potential victims allowing the scammers to quickly generate thousands of conversations that appear different to each prospective victim,” the FBI says. “Investment clubs employ AI-generated videos and voices of celebrities, CEOs, or trusted figures to create fraudulent, high-stakes opportunities. These scams often feature fake, professional-looking endorsements on social media or in video calls. This makes it harder for victims to detect they are in a scam. In 2025, losses in Investment complaints with a reported AI-nexus, surpassed $632 million. However, overall losses to investment scams exceeded $8 billion, demonstrating that many victims do not realize the extent AI may be involved in scams.”
The FBI has the story: Cryptocurrency and AI Scams Bilk Americans of Billions
