In brief
- Crypto ATM fraud complaints jumped 99% in a year, with seniors losing over $107 million.
- The average loss for victims over 60 reached $83K, four times the overall average.
- Investment scams remain a primary threat, accounting for $1.6B in losses among seniors.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has revealed a troubling trend in its 2024 annual report, released on Wednesday.
Americans aged 60 and older are most vulnerable to crypto fraud, despite making up a smaller portion of the population, the agency found.
"The criminals Americans face today may look different than in years past, but they still want the same thing: to harm Americans for their own benefit," B. Chad Yarbrough, operations director at the FBI's criminal and cyber division, wrote in the report.
According to the FBI, crypto-related fraud reached an all-time high of a little over $9.3 billion in 2024, a 66% increase from the previous year's $5.6 billion.
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While the data is concerning across all demographics, the impact on older Americans stands out in the data.
Of the total crypto fraud losses, nearly $2.8 billion—or 30%—came from individuals over 60, despite the age group representing only about 17% of the U.S. population.
This demographic filed 33,369 crypto-related complaints, with an average loss of $83,000 per victim, more than four times the overall average loss of $19,372 for other online crimes, the agency said.
It's worth noting that the FBI confirms the reported figures likely undercount actual losses.
Many more victims never report or are unable to report these incidents to law enforcement, creating an incomplete picture of crypto fraud's actual scale.
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Crypto fraud surges
Another concern is the rapid rise in crypto ATM and kiosk fraud, which saw incidents almost double from 2023 to 2024.
These convenient but often poorly understood exchange points have become a major vector for scammers targeting the elderly.
The FBI reported that 2,674 individuals over the age of 60 contacted them regarding $107 million in losses, specifically through crypto ATM schemes.
A scammer typically "requests payment from the victim and may direct the victim to withdraw money from the victim's financial accounts, such as investment or retirement accounts," a separate warning from the FBI notes.
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Meanwhile, investment fraud remains the largest category for crypto scams affecting seniors, accounting for $1.6 billion in losses for the group.
Still, the FBI has responded with initiatives like Operation Level Up, which identifies and notifies victims of crypto investment fraud, saving an estimated $285 million since its launch in January last year.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
