CertiK: U.S. Crypto ATM Scam Losses Surge 33%, AI Deepfake Becomes a New Tool for Fraud

According to CertiK's latest report, losses from cryptocurrency ATM scams in the U.S. will reach $333 million by 2025, with the FBI receiving over 12,000 complaints, a 33% increase year-on-year. CertiK points out that cryptocurrency ATMs can convert cash into cryptocurrency within 5 minutes, and the identity verification requirements are extremely low, making them the least frictional channel for scammers to withdraw funds.

Among the victims, 86% are seniors aged 60 and above, primarily due to their liquid savings, lack of knowledge about cryptocurrency, and social isolation. The main scam tactics include pig butchering investment scams, government impersonation, tech support scams, grandparent scams, and fake debt collection services.

The involvement of AI technology has made the situation even more severe. By 2025, AI-driven social engineering scams are expected to yield 4.5 times the profits of traditional methods, and real-time deepfake technology has been systematically integrated into scam operations. Transnational criminal organizations also operate with a corporate division of labor model, significantly increasing the difficulty of law enforcement tracking.