FBI Director Kash Patel stated that efforts to combat cryptocurrency scams will be intensified. The report cited US cybercrime data showing that losses to Americans due to cybercrime reached a record high last year, with investment scams being the most prevalent.

Losses rose to $20.9 billion last year.

Reports indicate that Americans lost a total of $20.9 billion to cybercrime last year. Investment fraud in China accounted for approximately $10.7 billion of these losses, making it one of the highest categories of losses.

Crypto fraud accounts for a significant proportion of these cases. These scams often exploit the anonymity or pseudo-anonymity of blockchain addresses to circumvent traditional financial tracking methods, increasing the difficulty for law enforcement to investigate.

Fake exchanges and DeFi scams are rampant.

The report mentions that common tactics include "pig butchering scams," fake trading platforms, liquidity pool scams, and fraudulent projects operating under the guise of DeFi. These scams typically lure inexperienced users into transferring crypto assets with promises of high returns or complex terminology.

In terms of victim groups, the elderly suffered the most severe losses, accounting for nearly one-third of the total losses last year. Investment traps, romance scams, and technology support scams were among the most common types of cases encountered by this group.

The FBI has frozen more than 3,000 wallets.

By region, California, Texas, and Florida saw the largest crypto-related losses. The report also stated that the FBI has frozen over 3,000 involved crypto wallets, preventing further losses of over $500 million.

Judging from law enforcement statements and frozen data, U.S. regulatory and law enforcement agencies continue to prioritize crypto fraud in their crackdowns, and related investigations may expand further.