AI: The New Weapon of Choice for Scammers — Crypto Losses Hit Record Highs Above $17B
Hello, crypto community.
Today, I want to discuss a troubling reality that every crypto user must take seriously. The same technology that is transforming our world — artificial intelligence — has now become one of the most powerful tools in the hands of criminals.
According to new data from Chainalysis, 2025 has officially become the worst year in history for crypto fraud. Total losses have already surpassed $17 billion, and experts predict this number could rise by another 24% as more fraudulent schemes are uncovered.
But the total figure is not even the most alarming part.
What truly shocks me is the human impact behind these numbers. The average loss per victim has jumped from $782 to $2,764 — a staggering 253% increase. This means scammers are not just targeting more people; they are becoming far more precise, sophisticated, and devastatingly effective.
So why is this happening? In my view, the answer is simple: AI.
The AI Advantage for Criminals
Research shows a disturbing pattern:
AI-powered scammers earn over $3.2 million per operation, compared to just $719,000 for traditional scammers.
Their average daily income is $4,838, nearly 10 times higher than non-AI criminals.
This tells us one thing clearly — AI has massively increased the scale, speed, and success rate of fraud.
How AI Is Being Used Against Us
Deepfakes Are Now Mainstream
As JPMorgan warned back in July 2025, criminals are using hyper-realistic AI-generated video and voice in romance scams and “pig-butchering” schemes. Victims are no longer just reading messages — they are seeing and hearing convincing fake people on video calls, which builds false trust.
Automation + Personalization
With AI, scammers can interact with thousands of victims at once while still making each conversation feel personal and tailored. This was impossible at this scale before AI existed.
Hybrid Cybercrime — The Brooklyn Case
A chilling example is the December 2025 Brooklyn case, where 23-year-old Ronald Spector was charged with stealing $16 million from Coinbase users. The criminals allegedly paid a support employee $250,000 for access to data on 70,000 customers, then impersonated Coinbase support agents using highly polished (likely AI-assisted) scripts to trick users into sending funds to fake “secure wallets.”
Are Authorities Fighting Back?
Yes — but the battle is getting tougher.
Will Lyne, head of London’s Metropolitan Police cybercrime unit, admitted that organized crime is now operating at an unprecedented speed and scale. Still, he believes international cooperation and digital intelligence tools are helping authorities identify networks, freeze assets, and disrupt criminal operations more effectively than before.
The Real Problem Moving Forward
AI has blurred the line between legitimate communication and sophisticated scams. Fake websites, cloned voices, AI-generated videos, and professional phishing pages now look completely real. It has never been harder to tell truth from deception.
My Questions to the Crypto Community
I want to hear your thoughts:
What security tools do you believe are now essential?
(Hardware wallets? Multi-signature wallets? Strict address verification?)
Have you personally seen or experienced AI-enhanced fraud?
Should exchanges enforce mandatory verification steps before large transfers?
This is a conversation we must have — together.
Forewarned is forearmed. Let’s stay alert and protect our community.
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #CryptoSecurity #Blockchain #ScamAwareness
$AI