The widespread use of AI tools has contributed to the increase in the scale of crypto scams, with fraudulent methods becoming more large-scale and personalized.

On January 14, according to Forbes, cryptocurrency scams in 2025 have become a massive criminal industry with a scale of at least $14 billion per year. This growth is mainly due to the widespread use of AI tools, which enable scammers to create fake identities more efficiently and produce more convincing deepfake scam content, significantly increasing the average earnings per scam. Statistics show that gangs using AI tools can successfully scam an average of $3.2 million per attempt from victims, while gangs not using AI typically scam an average of $719,000 per attempt. The former causes 4.5 times more damage per scam than the latter. In common “pig-butchering” scams in 2025, criminal gangs first establish an “emotional connection” with victims on social media platforms or create the image of an “investment mentor,” then lure victims into fake crypto trading platforms, ultimately stealing their funds. AI makes “pig-butchering” scams more scalable and personalized, significantly increasing success rates and involved amounts.