The FBI says Americans reported losing more than $16 billion to internet-related crimes in 2024, a 33% increase in losses compared to the previous year.

Individuals over 60 years of age reported the most complaints and suffered the greatest financial losses, totaling nearly $5 billion.

The agency's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its annual report Wednesday, detailing 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime.

Phishing and spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches were the top three cybercrimes reported by victims. Investment fraud, particularly involving cryptocurrency, resulted in the highest losses, totaling over $6.5 billion.

The report's release comes as local law enforcement in northeastern Ohio investigates several significant cyber scams reported this year:

In Boardman, a man reported losing $20,000 after falling victim to a PayPal impersonation scam. After being falsely informed of overpayment, the victim was instructed via email to withdraw cash and deliver it to a specific location.

A Columbiana woman reported a loss of approximately $250,000 after clicking on a fraudulent link. Scammers subsequently locked her devices, threatened her, and instructed her to withdraw and hand over cash. The woman later discovered a large international transfer from her accounts.

The West Point Fire Department disclosed that it lost over $320,000 in an elaborate international scam that began with a fake Microsoft email. The department's bookkeeper, believing they were communicating with tech support and an FBI agent, made multiple wire transfers and Bitcoin purchases without authorization due to a lack of security protocols.

California, Texas, and Florida had the highest number of complaints.

"Reporting is one of the first and most important steps in fighting crime so law enforcement can use this information to combat a variety of frauds and scams," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement. He emphasized the importance of the public reporting suspected cyber-enabled criminal activity to the IC3.

The IC3, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, compiles data from the public to identify trends in internet crime, share information with law enforcement and industry partners, and raise public awareness. Since its inception in May 2000, the center has compiled nine million complaints.

The FBI urges anyone who believes they have been a victim of an internet crime to file a complaint at www.ic3.gov, regardless of the financial loss. Victims are also advised to immediately notify their financial institutions, contact their local FBI field office, and local law enforcement.