Crypto Scams, Pig Butchering & Cybercrimes From The Latest FBI Report

The Latest IC3 Report on Cybercrime is out from the FBI. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Cybercrimes and crypto scams are becoming more common. I’ll never forget the call from my friend’s uncle. He’s the type who keeps meticulous spreadsheets for everything—grocery lists, travel budgets, even holiday gifts. So when he told me he’d wired over $20,000 to what he believed was a secure cryptocurrency investment, I was shocked.
He had been targeted by a scammer who took the time to build a relationship. Over a few weeks of messages on LinkedIn and text, they pitched him a “low-risk” opportunity through a professional-looking site that mimicked a legitimate crypto exchange. Everything seemed above board—until he tried to withdraw his funds. That’s when the truth hit. There was no investment. Just a convincing scam.
The hardest part wasn’t just the loss—it was the shame. For a man who had always made smart financial decisions, this felt like a personal failure.
That call was the beginning of my deeper dive into cybercrime. I’d always assumed scams happened to people who clicked suspicious links or ignored basic security advice. But I was wrong.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report makes it clear: cybercrime is no longer fringe. It’s mainstream, sophisticated, and deeply personal.