The year 2023 witnessed a staggering increase in cryptocurrency-related investment frauds, with a total loss of approximately $ 3.94 billion, marking a significant 53 percent jump from the previous year. This data, as reported by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is a stark reminder of the growing threat of investment fraud.
The total losses from investment frauds, including other types, also surged by 38 percent, reaching a staggering $4.57 billion.
“These scams are designed to entice those targeted with the promise of lucrative returns on their investments,” the report by the FBI stated.
Old Peoples Were Very Vulnerable
The data from the FBI report reveals a concerning trend- the majority of victims of investment scams in the past year were above 30 years of age. More alarmingly, a significant number of complaints, 6,404 to be precise, were received from individuals above 60.
Over the years, many regulators globally have warned against investment scams, like phishing, clones of legitimate platforms, and rampant romance scams. Fraudsters even impersonated the officials of regulators, trying to extort money from potential victims.
Although the number of reported phishing attempts marginally dropped to 298,878 from 300,497, the rise in losses indicates other tactics adopted by the fraudsters.
Investment fraud losses reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Source: FBI/IC3
Rising Losses to Scams
The report further considered complaints about many other types of scams that took the total losses in 2023 to $12.5 billion. Scammers primarily targeted the age group beyond 60 years, who lost about $3.4 billion. Further, the losses appeared to be increasing by age group: people between 20 and 29 years of age lost $360.7 million, 30 to 39 years olds lost $1.2 billion, 40 to 49-year-olds lost $1.5 billion, and 50 to 59-year-olds lost $1.7 billion.
Earlier, the FBI also issued multiple warnings against the rampant cryptocurrency scams. It also alarmed the public against fraudsters claiming to have the ability to recover lost cryptocurrencies.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market is going through a bullish cycle, with Bitcoin hitting an all-time-high value beyond $70,000. Such optimism also creates opportunities for scammers.
The year 2023 witnessed a staggering increase in cryptocurrency-related investment frauds, with a total loss of approximately $ 3.94 billion, marking a significant 53 percent jump from the previous year….
