Impersonation scams drove a massive 2025 surge, with year-over-year increases around 1,400% and average per-incident losses rising by more than sixfold.

Crypto-related scams are projected to surpass $17 billion in losses for 2025, with initial on-chain losses near $14 billion and revisions pushing the total higher.

The typical scam payment grew from about $782 in 2024 to roughly $2,764 in 2025, signaling broader growth in crypto fraud.

Experts note crypto tracking remains challenging due to blockchain's pseudo-anonymous nature and urge vigilance by verifying banking or money-transfer requests.

Countermeasures against impersonation scams include reducing trust points through automation, never sharing sensitive data, treating unsolicited messages as suspicious, and confirming authenticity before engaging.

Chainalysis stresses there are no silver bullets against crypto scams and calls for authorities to invest in detection, real-time fraud and mule detection, cross-border coordination, and support for low-capacity jurisdictions in 2026.

AI’s role in fraud is rising, with experts forecasting near-ubiquitous integration of AI in scam operations in the future.

2026 is expected to see a convergence of scam methods, as scammers blend multiple tactics and technologies, underscoring the need for a multi-pronged defense.

Chainalysis findings sit alongside other reports of increasing fraudulent activity in the cryptocurrency space, highlighting a broad rising trend.

Notable scams include a $16 million Coinbase impersonation and an SMS-based E-ZPass phishing campaign targeting Americans.

HYIP and pig-butchering schemes remain top fraud categories, with scammers layering impersonation, social engineering, and wallet-focused techniques for greater impact.

Growth in on-chain scams is linked to more wallet discoveries, which drive higher on-chain activity and potential losses, with total exposure likely to rise as new wallets are identified.