According to the FBI Internet Crime Report 2022, cryptocurrency fraud cases have seen a significant increase of 183% from the previous year, reaching a total of $2.57 billion. This is a sharp rise from the $907 million reported in 2021.
The data was collected from the Internet Crime Complaints Center (IC3), and the report also revealed that overall financial investment fraud claims increased by 127%, from $1.45 billion in 2021 to $3.31 billion in 2022.
Digital asset investment fraud is particularly concerning, as it has led to a surge in the number of victims, with many investors being left in substantial debt due to failed investments in cryptocurrency schemes.
The FBI experts warn that scammers often target individuals aged 30 to 49 years old, and the most common crypto-related crimes involve the extraction of liquidity, hacking of social media accounts, and impersonation of celebrities and employees in real estate and employment sectors.
Furthermore, the FBI has highlighted that criminals based abroad have managed to scam their victims of over $2 billion in the previous year, using the aforementioned schemes.
In a recent warning, the FBI also cautioned the public against scammers who create blockchain-based games under the concept of “Play-to-Earn”, which can lead to the loss of users’ crypto assets.
It’s imperative for individuals to be cautious and seek reliable investment advice before engaging in any crypto-related activities.