(Washington, 10th ) The latest report released by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) on Monday showed that cryptocurrency-related fraud cases are rampant in the United States, with losses exceeding US$ 5.6 billion (about RM24.4 billion) last year alone , an increase of 45% from 2022.
The FBI report pointed out that in 2023 , nearly 70,000 financial fraud cases related to Bitcoin , Ether and other cryptocurrencies were received.
The report also shows that among Crypto Scam cases, " investment fraud " is the most rampant, with losses reaching US$ 3.96 billion, accounting for 71% of the total amount ; fraud cases impersonating customer service and government agencies account for about 10% . The main victims are people over 60 years old, with losses exceeding US$ 1.6 billion (about RM6.98 billion).
" The decentralized nature of cryptocurrency, the speed of irreversible transactions, and the ability to transfer value around the world make cryptocurrency a favored medium for criminals and a challenge to recover stolen funds, " wrote FBI Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation David Nordva. The FBI pointed out that scammers usually establish trust with victims through dating apps or social media within weeks or months, and then propose investment in cryptocurrencies. Once the relationship is established, they will persuade the victim to use fake websites or applications to invest, and sometimes even let the victim withdraw a small amount of money at the beginning of the investment, so that the victim mistakenly believes that this is a legitimate transaction . The FBI said that in some cases, victims were targeted by fake companies after being deceived, and these companies claimed that they could help victims recover the defrauded cryptocurrencies.