WASHINGTON—Consumers reported losing more than $1 billion to fraud involving cryptocurrencies from January 2021 through March 2022, according to a new analysis from the Federal Trade Commission.
Fraud reports suggest cryptocurrency is quickly becoming the payment of choice for many scammers, with about one out of every four dollars reported lost to fraud paid in cryptocurrency, the FTC said.
The FTC’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight finds that most of the cryptocurrency losses consumers reported involved bogus cryptocurrency investment opportunities, which totaled $575 million in reported losses since January 2021. These scams often falsely promise potential investors that they can earn huge returns by investing in their cryptocurrency schemes, but people report losing all the money they “invest,” according to the FTC.
The Leading Scams
After cryptocurrency investment schemes, the next largest losses reported by consumers were on:
- Romance Scams: These often involve a love interest who tries to entice someone into investing in what turns out to be a cryptocurrency scam.
- Business and Government Impersonation Scams: The FTC said reports show these scammers often target consumers by claiming their money is at risk because of fraud or a government investigation and the only way to protect their cash is by converting it to cryptocurrency.
How Scams Begin
According to the FTC, reports suggest that cryptocurrency-related scams often begin on social media. Nearly half of consumers who reported a cryptocurrency related scam since 2021 said it started with an ad, post or message on a social media platform.
People ages 20 to 49 were more than three times as likely as older age groups to have reported losing money to a cryptocurrency scam. Older age groups, however, reported losing more money when they did report a cryptocurrency-related scam, the FTC said.
Red Flags
The FTC pointed to red flags consumers should watch out for:
- Anyone who claims they can guarantee profits or big returns by investing in cryptocurrency
- People who require a consumer to buy or pay in cryptocurrency
- A love interest who wants to show you how to invest in cryptocurrency or to send them cryptocurrency
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