More than 46,000 people reported losing over $1 billion in cryptocurrency scams since the start of 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a report on Friday.
Cryptocurrency Scams: Victims Lose Over $1 Billion In 2021 – FTC
Nearly half the people who reported losing digital currencies in a scam said it started with an ad, post, or a message on a social media platform, according to the FTC.
The craze for cryptocurrencies was at a fever pitch last year with bitcoin hitting a record high of $69,000 in November.
Reports point to social media and crypto as a combustible combination for fraud, the agency said, adding that about $575 million of all losses related to digital currency frauds were about “bogus investment opportunities”.
Nearly four out of every ten dollars lost in a fraud originating on social media was lost in crypto, far more than any other payment method, with Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram being the top social media platforms in such cases, according to the report.
The average reported a loss for an individual was $2,600. Bitcoin, tether, and ether were the top cryptocurrencies that people used to pay scammers.