FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report

2026-05-27 · Source: Schneier on Security · Field: Technology & Digital — Cybersecurity & Data Privacy, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report was recently published, detailing various statistics on cybercrime. This year's report notably includes a new category for AI-related crimes, recording 22,000 complaints, a figure anticipated to be the lowest ever seen. The report's release has sparked discussion regarding the underlying causes of cybercrime, with some arguing that victims are forced into vulnerable positions by government and corporate systems. This perspective suggests that addressing systemic weaknesses, rather than solely focusing on individual precautions, would more effectively reduce cybercrime. The report also highlights the significant financial impact of cryptocurrency and AI scams, which have collectively cost Americans billions.

Key takeaway

For policy makers and security engineers developing cyber defense strategies, recognize that the FBI's 2025 report highlights a critical shift towards AI-driven crime, with 22,000 complaints already. Your focus should expand beyond individual user precautions to address systemic vulnerabilities within digital infrastructure. Prioritize initiatives that remove "low hanging fruit" for attackers and build resilient environments, rather than solely blaming victims, to effectively mitigate evolving cyber threats.

Key insights

The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report reveals emerging AI-related crimes and underscores the debate on systemic versus individual responsibility for cybercrime.

Principles

• Security relying on perfect user behavior fails.
• Systemic weaknesses, not just negligence, enable attacks.
• Removing "low hanging fruit" reduces cybercrime.

Topics

• FBI Internet Crime Report
• AI Cybercrime
• Cybercrime Statistics
• Systemic Security
• Digital Infrastructure
• Victim Blaming

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, Director of AI/ML, Security Engineer, Policy Maker, AI Security Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Schneier on Security.