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The FBI warned that criminals behind cryptocurrency investment scams are increasingly sending in-person couriers to collect cash from victims when banks or financial institutions block suspicious transfers. In these schemes, fraudsters typically contact targets through social media, dating platforms, or messaging apps, build trust through so-called pig butchering or romance baiting, and then direct them to fake investment platforms where money is stolen instead of invested.
According to the FBI, scammers may claim a victim’s account has been flagged and arrange a cash handoff authenticated with a pre-arranged password or a specific U.S. dollar bill serial number. After the pickup, victims are shown fabricated gains in virtual wallets and pressured to send more money for bogus taxes or penalties. The bureau urged people to research crypto platforms, avoid sharing home addresses or meeting unknown individuals, watch for love bombing behavior, and report incidents with detailed evidence; the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report said U.S. victims lost nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crime in 2025, including $8.6 billion tied to investment scams.
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The FBI warned that criminals behind cryptocurrency investment scams are increasingly arranging in-person couriers to pick up cash from victims when financial institutions block suspicious transfers. The agency also advised the public to research platforms, avoid sharing personal information or home addresses, and report incidents with supporting evidence.
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The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported more than **1,008,597** cybercrime complaints in 2025, with cyber-enabled fraud driving **$17.6 billion** in losses and accounting for **85%** of all reported losses. **Investment fraud** caused the most damage at **$8.6 billion**, followed by **business email compromise** at more than **$3 billion** and **tech support fraud** at **$2.1 billion**. Older adults were hit especially hard, with people aged 60 and above filing **201,266** complaints tied to about **$7.7 billion** in losses, while California, Texas, and Florida recorded the highest complaint volumes. Cryptocurrency-related crime was a major driver of the surge, with Americans reporting **$11.4 billion** in crypto scam losses across **181,565** complaints, up **22%** from the prior year. The FBI said many cryptocurrency investment scams are sophisticated, long-running schemes linked to organized criminal enterprises in Southeast Asia that use trafficked people as forced labor. The bureau also warned that ransomware remained a persistent threat, investigating more than **200** ransomware variants, actors, and enablers after identifying **63** new variants; ransomware complaints rose to **3,611** with more than **$32 million** in losses, and attacks affected **14 of 16** U.S. critical infrastructure sectors.
Jun 29, 2026
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (**IC3**) has warned that scammers are posing as FBI personnel and IC3 representatives to target people who have already lost money to cybercrime and fraud. The operation uses fake social media profiles, direct messages, phone calls, emails, online forums, spoofed IC3 websites, and **AI-generated videos** of senior FBI officials to falsely claim that stolen funds have been recovered or can be recovered, with the goal of stealing additional personal and financial information. The FBI said the fraudsters often contact victims on platforms such as Facebook Messenger before moving conversations to apps like Telegram, where they may send links that harvest data or contain malicious code. Deepfake videos have also been used to steer victims to fake complaint portals designed to mimic `ic3.gov` and collect sensitive details about prior losses. IC3 stressed that it has **no social media presence**, does not initiate contact through social media, chat apps, phone, or email to recover money, and never asks victims to pay fees for fund recovery; legitimate follow-up would come from an FBI employee or another law enforcement official.
Aug 11, 2026
The FBI said Americans lost more than **$388 million** to scams involving cryptocurrency kiosks in 2025, based on more than **13,400 complaints** filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The bureau said fraudsters commonly instruct victims to withdraw cash, visit a crypto ATM, and transfer funds to attacker-controlled wallets, with complaints rising **23%** and losses increasing **58%** from the prior year. People over 50 accounted for more than half of the complaints and reported over **$302 million** in losses, while Texas, Florida, and California together logged more than **3,300 complaints** and about **$112 million** in estimated losses. The warning comes as regulators and lawmakers intensify scrutiny of the crypto kiosk industry. Minnesota, Indiana, and Tennessee have moved to ban cryptocurrency kiosks statewide, and operators including Bitcoin Depot, CoinFlip, and Athena are facing growing legal and regulatory pressure; Bitcoin Depot has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing state bans and tighter rules. Federal officials said the kiosks are being used in scams including fake investments, tech support fraud, and romance scams, and urged the public to verify payment requests through official channels and avoid sending funds to online-only contacts or unknown parties.
Jun 29, 2026