AI Deepfakes Fuel $158B Crypto Scam Surge in 2025

Crypto News Exploits

AI Scams Skyrocket: TRM Labs Reports 500% Jump in 2025 Fraud

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: January 29, 2026

Key Takeaways

TRM Labs found AI use in crypto scams surged 500% in 2025 by helping fraudsters scale faster and sound more convincing;
About $35 billion in crypto flowed to scam wallets last year, but fraud tactics grew more organized;
Scammers now mix romance, investment, and fake tax scams, using deepfakes and AI to deceive across platforms.

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AI Scams Skyrocket: TRM Labs Reports 500% Jump in 2025 Fraud

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TRM Labs reported that crypto scammers made major use of artificial intelligence (AI) last year, with large language models (LLMs) up 500% in 2025.

The firm said these tools helped criminals reach larger audiences, sound more trustworthy, and run scams faster and cheaper than before.

In its 2026 crypto crime report, TRM Labs estimated that around $35 billion in cryptocurrency was sent to scam-related wallets worldwide in 2025, down from $38 billion the year before.

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While the total dropped a bit, the company warned that fraud has become more organized and industrialized. The report noted:

Large language models (LLMs) enable scams to cross language and cultural contexts with less friction, while AI-generated images, voice cloning, and deepfake videos reduce the cost of creating convincing personas.

These technologies allow scammers to create fake people, voices, and videos that are much harder to spot.

TRM Labs said these AI-powered methods are driving an increase in impersonation scams across messaging apps, job offers, and investment platforms. Many victims fall for them even after seeing scam warnings, simply because the fake interactions appear so real.

The report also showed that scammers are combining different types of fraud. A single scheme might begin with a romance scam to gain trust, then move into a fake investment pitch, and finish with a “tax” scam demanding payment for false fees.

Scammers impersonating trusted people or companies stole far more crypto in 2025, according to new data from Chainalysis. What did the firm say? Read the full story.