The landscape of crypto scams has significantly intensified in 2025, driven by the growing use of generative AI 🤖. According to Chainalysis, crypto scam revenues reached 9.9 billion $ in 2024, and could exceed 12 billion $ if yet unidentified fraudulent accounts are taken into account 📈🚨. AI enables scammers to create fake websites, verified profiles, and synthetic identities, making scams even more credible and harder to detect.
The so-called "pig butchering" method or romantic-investment scam has exploded, with nearly 40% growth compared to 2023, representing a major share of recorded losses 💔💰. The FBI has launched Operation "Level Up," notifying several thousand victims, often elderly, to prevent irreversible damage 🕵️♂️🚨. Furthermore, scams via Bitcoin ATMs in Australia have caused losses of up to 900,000 $ in just a few months, primarily among gullible seniors (@police warnings).
The sophistication of scammers is also advancing with the resurgence of fake platforms, fake wallets, or “arbitrage bot” scams spread on social media 🎭📉. Cumulative losses from hacks, phishing, or exchange hacks exceed 2.2 billion $ in the first half of 2025 alone, with groups like Lazarus responsible for a record theft on Bybit (400,000 ETH). This increase alerts investors of all levels: maximum vigilance, account verification, use of 2FA, and never click without thinking ✋📡.
