SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) —The FBI says cybercrime is getting worse, with more than 1 million complaints reported nationwide in 2025. That’s up 24% from 2024, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, the site where cybercrime is reported, analyzed and acted upon.
Jordan Kelly, a cybersecurity expert, was not surprised by the increase.
“I don’t think that 24% is really a huge number when you consider the fact that our lives are only becoming increasingly digital, and the ability of the threats to take advantage of people online is getting more and more sophisticated, moving faster and faster,” Kelly said.
Florida remains number three in both complaints and losses. Numbers are up compared to 2024.
Losses are also increasing. The average loss is a whopping $20,699 for each instance.
Both ends of the age spectrum are vulnerable. Those over 50 are the biggest victims with more than $11 billion in losses, but even those under 30 are falling victim as well.
“One of the things that is shocking is that the average loss is really life-changing, life-altering,” Kelly said. “And so these are scams. And so we might think of scams as maybe you’ve just given a few dollars away. People are giving away really significant assets, and that’s having really significant effects on people’s lives.”
Investment scams are number one, and these usually involve crypto. A-I is playing a bigger and bigger role.
To protect yourself, change passwords, update security, don’t click on links and be skeptical.
The cyber crooks are getting better, so you need to get better too at protecting your identity and your money. If anyone ever asks you to pay with a gift card, don’t do it—it’s always a scam.
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