AI‑Enabled Crypto Scams Jump 500% in 2025 as Fraud Grows Industrial, TRM Labs Says

• The use of AI in crypto scams rose by a staggering 500% in 2025.
• The use of deepfakes, voice cloning, and support for multiple languages made the scams more convincing.

The incorporation of artificial intelligence in cryptocurrency scams increased significantly in 2025 by a staggering 500% relative to the previous period, based on the TRM Labs 2026 crypto crime report. Scammers used large language models and generative tools to intensify the outreach, develop believable personas, and perform scam operations across platforms.

Even as the total amount of funds transferred to scammer addresses declined slightly in 2025 to $35 billion from $38 billion in 2024, the incorporation of AI in scam operations indicates a shift towards highly efficient methods of deception.

AI Tools Enable Scammers to Use High-Impact Techniques

According to TRM Labs, AI tools such as large language models, AI-generated images, voice cloning, and deepfake videos have enabled scammers to easily overcome language and cultural barriers and reduce the cost and time required to build an effective scam infrastructure. These tools have been used in different scams, such as impersonation scams that use the appearance of legitimacy to deceive victims.

For instance, according to the report, North Korean hackers used deepfake video calls to try to steal data from crypto professionals, showing how AI can be used to enhance social engineering attacks. AI-assisted scams are no longer limited to simple phishing attacks but have evolved to include more sophisticated attacks that may start as romance scams, then advance to investment scams, and finally end with tax or advance fee scams.

Moreover, there has been the development of a dark web ecosystem of illicit service providers, offering services such as AI-as-a-service and phishing kits, which make it easier for new fraudsters to enter the market and enable the replication of campaigns across different regions.

Evolving Fraud Landscape

The report highlighted the growth in the fraud landscape and the illicit volume. In addition to the increase in scams, the report highlighted the increase in the total value received by illicit crypto wallets, which was estimated at around $158 billion in 2025, an increase of around 146% from the $64 billion in 2024. However, despite the increase, the percentage of illicit volume to the total cryptocurrency transaction volume slightly decreased from 1.3% to 1.2% year-over-year.

The dramatic rise in AI-powered crypto scams in 2025 is a symptom of the way in which generative and automation technology has enabled the fraud industry to become a more complex and scalable business. With the use of AI technology making it easier to reach out to people in multiple languages, impersonate them, and use comprehensive scam tactics, the crypto industry is now at greater risk than ever before from attacks that use technology and psychological tactics.

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