HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN CO. (WOLF) — Cybercrime is rising sharply across the United States — and Pennsylvania is among the states feeling the impact.
A new FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report shows Americans filed more than 1 million cybercrime complaints in 2025, with losses exceeding $20.8 billion, a 26% increase from the year before.
Pennsylvania among the hardest-hit states
Pennsylvania ranked 6th in the nation for total complaints, with more than 31,000 reports filed, and 7th for financial losses, totaling more than $537 million.
That puts the state firmly among the top tier of cybercrime hotspots, alongside larger states like California, Texas, and Florida.
Most common crime: phishing and spoofing
The most frequently reported cybercrime nationwide continues to be phishing and spoofing, accounting for nearly 192,000 complaints in 2025.
These scams typically involve fake emails, texts, or calls designed to trick victims into revealing personal or financial information.
Other common crimes include:
- Extortion
- Investment scams
- Data breaches
- Online shopping fraud
While phishing is the most common, investment scams caused the most financial damage, with more than $8.6 billion in losses — far surpassing any other category.
Older adults most targeted — and hit hardest
The data shows a clear trend: older Americans are the most heavily targeted and suffer the greatest losses.
- People 60 and older filed over 201,000 complaints
- Losses in that age group reached $7.7 billion
- That marks a 59% increase in losses compared to 2024
By comparison, younger age groups reported far smaller financial losses, even when complaint numbers were high.
Experts say scammers often target older adults because they may have more savings or retirement funds and may be less familiar with evolving online scams.
Year-over-year trends show growing threat
The report highlights several key trends:
- Losses are rising faster than complaints
While complaints increased, financial losses grew at a faster rate, signaling that scams are becoming more sophisticated and costly.
Investment fraud is exploding
Investment scams have surged significantly over the past three years:
- 2023: $4.5 billion
- 2024: $6.5 billion
- 2025: $8.6 billion
Government impersonation and identity theft are increasing
Crimes involving impersonating government officials nearly doubled in recent years, while identity theft and employment scams also saw sharp increases.
Cryptocurrency scams continue to grow
Crimes involving cryptocurrency totaled more than $11.3 billion in losses, up more than 20% from the previous year.
How scams are happening
The FBI says most cyber-enabled fraud now relies on technology — including email, social media, and even artificial intelligence — to trick victims.
Cyber-enabled fraud alone accounted for:
- 85% of all losses in 2025
- Nearly $17.7 billion stolen
Common tactics include:
- Fake investment opportunities
- Impersonation of government or tech support
- Romance and confidence scams
- Business email compromise schemes
What it means for Pennsylvania
With tens of thousands of complaints and hundreds of millions lost, the data shows cybercrime is not just a national issue — it’s a growing local threat.
Law enforcement officials urge residents to:
- Be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails
- Never send money or personal information to unknown contacts
- Verify requests independently, especially those claiming to be from government agencies
Bottom line
The FBI says cybercrime continues to evolve — and the numbers show it’s becoming more costly and more widespread.
For Pennsylvania residents, the message is clear: Scammers are getting more sophisticated, and vigilance is more important than ever.
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