2023 年加密领域欺诈频发，损失高达 56 亿美元，同比增长 45%

2023 年加密相关欺诈飙升 45%，造成 56 亿美元损失

美国联邦调查局 (FBI) 报告称，2023 年加密货币相关欺诈行为激增 45%，损失高达 56 亿美元。

据美国联邦调查局互联网犯罪投诉中心 (IC3) 称，这一增长是由于人们对比特币等数字资产的兴趣重新燃起，比特币的价值飙升，去年增长了一倍多。

与加密货币欺诈相关的投诉数量达到近 69,500 起，这反映出犯罪分子如何利用加密交易的快速、不可逆的特性来剥削毫无戒心的受害者。

虽然与加密相关的投诉仅占所有金融欺诈报告的 10%，但却占总金钱损失的近 50%，凸显了这些骗局造成的巨大财务影响。

正如 IC3 在其报告中指出的那样，加密货币的去中心化特性及其快速的全球转移能力使得被盗资金的追回极具挑战性。

美国联邦调查局刑事调查部助理主任迈克尔·诺德沃尔在讲话中强调了这一点，他说，

“一旦个人发送付款，收款人就拥有了加密货币，并经常将其迅速转入海外账户以提取现金。”

投资诈骗盛行，犯罪分子瞄准毫无戒心的投资者

投资欺诈继续占据加密货币相关犯罪的主导地位，占 2023 年向 FBI 报告的所有损失的 71%。

这些骗局通常利用人们害怕错过（FOMO）的心理，并利用以下资产价格的快速上涨来牟利：

数字资产的去中心化特性及其作为投机性投资工具的作用使其对依赖交易匿名性来逃避侦查的诈骗者特别有吸引力。

该报告强调，许多受害者，特别是那些不熟悉加密货币技术的受害者，被哄骗参与诈骗，并因此背负“巨额债务”。

仅加密相关投资骗局造成的损失就激增了 53%，到 2023 年达到近 39.6 亿美元。

正如 FBI 报告所述，

“加密货币作为投资工具的广泛推广，加上人们‘害怕错过’的心态，为犯罪分子提供了针对消费者和散户投资者的机会——特别是那些寻求从投资中获利但不熟悉该技术和随之而来的风险的人。”

老年消费者是加密货币欺诈的重灾区

执法部门尤其担心的是这些骗局对老年人造成的不成比例的影响。

The FBI report revealed that individuals over 60 were among the most frequently targeted by scammers, with losses totaling over $1.6 billion in this demographic alone.

This age group often lacks the technical proficiency to navigate the complex and fast-moving world of cryptocurrencies, making them prime targets for fraudulent schemes.

Many older victims fell prey to confidence schemes, where scammers posed as trusted individuals or entities offering investment advice.

These fraudsters often used social engineering tactics to build trust before draining victims’ funds.

In some cases, victims had no idea they had been defrauded until much later.

James Barnacle, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, remarked on the situation,

“When notifying fraud victims, 75% were unaware they had already been targeted.”

Call Center Scams and Crypto ATMs Amplify Losses

Beyond investment scams, call centre frauds, including government impersonation schemes, accounted for approximately 10% of cryptocurrency-related losses.

These scams, often operating out of overseas call centres, use fear and intimidation tactics, such as posing as government officials, to coerce victims into transferring funds via cryptocurrency.

The FBI report also highlighted the alarming rise in fraud associated with crypto ATMs.

These machines, which allow users to exchange cash for cryptocurrencies anonymously, have become a significant tool for scammers.

In 2023 alone, there were over 5,500 complaints related to fraudulent transactions through crypto ATMs, resulting in losses of more than $189 million.

A two-way Bitcoin ATM that enables users to seamlessly buy or sell bitcoins with cash

Scammers use these kiosks to perpetrate various schemes, including customer service fraud, extortion, and romance scams.

Due to the anonymity of these transactions, recovering funds lost through crypto ATMs remains extremely difficult, with Barnacle adding that the chances of recovery are “slim.”

Global Reach of Crypto Scams and Emerging Threats

Crypto-related fraud is not confined to the US, with IC3 receiving complaints from over 200 countries in 2023.

However, a majority of cases were reported within the United States.

Fraudsters operating from jurisdictions with lax anti-money laundering laws pose a significant challenge for law enforcement, as they quickly transfer funds abroad, where US authorities struggle to track or retrieve the stolen assets.

Emerging fraudulent activities include play-to-earn scams and deceptive businesses that falsely claim to recover lost crypto assets.

Pig butchering schemes, which often involve labour trafficking, have also become a rising threat.

These scams see workers tricked into taking up positions abroad, often in call centres running complex confidence schemes targeting victims worldwide.

Calls for Tighter Regulation and Enhanced Public Awareness

As the cryptocurrency industry grows, so do the calls for more stringent regulatory oversight.

欺诈案件的增加加剧了人们对改进安全措施和加强消费者教育以减轻这些风险的必要性的担忧。

鉴于这些发展，监管机构可能会更严格地审查加密货币行业，并可能对交易所和其他加密货币相关业务实施更严格的合规要求。

目前，联邦调查局敦促投资者在参与任何加密相关活动之前保持警惕并进行彻底的研究。

诺德沃尔建议谨慎行事，尤其是对于未经请求的投资机会。

FBI 的报告最后发出了严厉警告：

“加密货币的去中心化特性、不可逆交易的速度以及在世界范围内转移价值的能力使加密货币成为犯罪分子眼中有吸引力的工具，同时也给追回被盗资金带来了挑战。”

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