Cybercrimes are increasingly showing greater sophistication across the country, and residents of Southwest Colorado are not immune.
Newly released data from the Internet Crime Report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation captures a year’s worth of cybercrime, showing Americans lost an estimated $20.8 billion to schemes carried out in 2025, about 26% higher than 2024.
Cyber fraud encompasses a range of plots, including phishing, fake business investments, extortion, personal or company data breaches, tech support scams and identity theft. It involves the theft of money or identities and the promotion of counterfeit goods or services.
The greatest amount of financial loss nationwide came from schemes involving cryptocurrency, according to the data, at a reported $11.3 billion.
For the first time, the FBI’s Internet Crime Report also concluded that the growing use of artificial intelligence allows scammers to create highly believable ploys. They use AI to simulate voices and videos that are high quality and seemingly real, making schemes such as romance fraud or extortion much more difficult to detect.
The report is provided annually through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, a hub dedicated to documenting malicious cyber threats that is celebrating its 25th year. The investigative arm relies on public reporting and data analysis to track trends, monitor threats and, in some cases, freeze stolen funds. The hub coordinates around-the-clock responses to threats and cyber incidents while aggregating data to share with local and state law enforcement agencies. In its early days, a few thousand complaints were made per month. Now, the center receives nearly 3,000 complaints a day.
For 2025, the report documents around 1 million complaints.
| 2001 | 47,711 |
| 2005 | 231,493 |
| 2009 | 303,809 |
| 2015 | 288,012 |
| 2017 | 300,000+ |
| 2020 | 791,790 |
| 2023 | 880,000+ |
| 2025 | 1.008 million |
| Source: Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3 | |
“These are only the reports made to IC3; not every victim files a complaint or even realizes he or she is a victim, so the actual numbers are probably higher in terms of victims and losses,” said Vikki Migoya, an FBI spokesperson with the Public Affairs Office based in Denver.
The 2025 report offers a glimpse of schemes operating on scales ranging from local to global. According to the center, criminals from all parts of the world digitally attack systems nearly every minute, targeting corporate and government infrastructure as well as everyday citizens.
Examples range from foreign scamming centers devoted to nefarious purposes to individuals using chatbots to create voices that realistically mimic company executives, grandparents or loved ones in distress.
| 2001 | $17.8 million |
| 2005 | $183 million |
| 2010 | $1.1 billion |
| 2015 | $1.0 billion |
| 2020 | $4.2 billion |
| 2021 | $6.9 billion |
| 2022 | 10.3 billion |
| 2023 | $12.5 billion |
| 2024 | $16.6 billion |
| 2025 | $20.877 billion |
| Source: IC3 | |
The most commonly reported scam by Colorado residents in 2025 was phishing- or spoofing-related, according to the report. Coloradans reported losing $155 million to investment scams, $52 million to business email compromise, $19 million to AI-related schemes and nearly $202.1 million related to combined cryptocurrency plots. The state ranked 17th nationwide for financial losses, with California reporting the most.
People 60 and older faced more loss and manipulation than any other age group and were more likely to report being victims.
With Montezuma County seeing a steady string of cases, from six-figure crypto scams to impersonation targeting utility customers, cybercrime continues to affect rural communities.
A local man reported losing more than $600,000 in January after being lured into what he believed was a legitimate cryptocurrency investment.
According to a sheriff’s report, authorities believe his account may have been used as a money-laundering hub, with large deposits moving in and out of the account through transactions involving other accounts. The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office said the case is under FBI investigation and remains active.
Scams involving cryptocurrency are often long-term and involve large sums of money. They frequently rely on psychological manipulation to deceive victims. The FBI believes some operations are run by large criminal enterprises based in Southeast Asia and may involve trafficked individuals forced to participate.
Other ongoing cases in the county involve scammers posing as service providers or financial institutions to extract personal information or payment.
In one case, a resident sent $750 in gift cards to someone posing as a landlord and never heard back. In another, a woman lost thousands of dollars after someone claimed to be her mortgage company and requested payment. These tactics often aim to incite fear or create a sense of urgency.
Ballantine Communications Inc. lost $276,000 when a scammer posed as an Alpine Bank employee to obtain account information and initiate a wire transfer.
“We are fairly unable to assist with internet or computer fraud, but we can assist people with getting in touch with the right agencies and help them secure their important documents,” Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said.
In an identity theft case reported Monday, a victim lost access to critical personal and financial accounts after responding to a fraudulent text alert posing as Apple.
Nowlin said the scam falsely claimed the account had been compromised, prompting the victim to share sensitive information, including banking and identification details. Using that information, scammers took over accounts and stole essential documents, forcing the person to start over.
Nowlin said the scheme appeared highly legitimate and stressed that no reputable company will request personal information through unsolicited calls, texts or emails.
He advised residents to independently verify suspicious messages by contacting organizations directly using known, trusted phone numbers.
In a statement emailed to The Journal, an FBI spokesperson said the best way to protect yourself is to become educated about the latest and most-harmful cybercrimes.
“Anyone can become a victim of a cyber-enabled crime. If you believe you have fallen victim to cybercrime, file a complaint or report,” the statement said, noting that information from the public drives investigations.
The bureau was not able to provide information on how often cases are solved.
The IC3 website offers information on protecting yourself, family members and workplaces from fraud, as well as a portal where anyone may file a complaint.
While AI is a helpful tool with legitimate purposes, the FBI warns its use for criminal activity is increasing. The bureau frequently receives reports of synthetic content being used to generate fake social media profiles or personalized content at scale.
“People have manipulated video and audio similarly for decades, but the widespread availability of this developing technology makes it possible to create high-quality content,” the statement said, noting targets include individuals, businesses and financial institutions.
In 2025, the center received more than 22,000 complaints involving AI-related activity, with adjusted losses exceeding $893 million.
Nowlin said residents who are unsure about calls or online purchases can contact the Sheriff’s Department for help.
“People have to protect their bank accounts, funds … and the most important thing people need to know, call us, we will help you,” Nowlin said.
awatson@the-journal.com
