Colorado has substantial reported cryptocurrency-related complaints and losses, and federal cases document crypto being used in crimes with ties to the state. But official data do not show what share of crypto-crime offenders are Colorado residents. Complaint totals describe reports and losses associated with Colorado; they are not a map of where offenders live.
How much crypto fraud is reported in Colorado?
The latest state-level snapshot located, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2025 Colorado report, lists two distinct cryptocurrency descriptors. The report explains that descriptors track a medium or tool used in a crime after a crime type has been selected.
| 2025 Colorado measure | Complaints | Reported losses |
|---|---|---|
| Cryptocurrency descriptor (FBI IC3, 2025 Colorado report) | 1,293 | $77,139,140 |
| Cryptocurrency-wallet descriptor (FBI IC3, 2025 Colorado report) | 2,773 | $124,991,676 |
These are separate descriptor categories, not a single count of unique crypto victims or a measure of offenders based in Colorado. The FBI’s separate 2025 IC3 Annual Report lists 4,066 cryptocurrency complaints associated with Colorado and ranks the state 14th among states for that measure. That figure uses a different reporting category; it should not be added to the descriptor counts.
Crypto kiosks are one part of the picture
For 2025, the FBI reported 332 Colorado complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks and $9,463,719 in adjusted losses in its crypto-kiosk complaint data. Those totals are not necessarily losses caused solely by kiosk transactions: a complaint can also involve other transactions.
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The often-cited $243.5 million is not crypto-only
Colorado victims reported $243,517,403 in losses from all suspected internet crime in 2024, across 14,848 reports. The FBI Denver field office said Colorado ranked seventh nationally in complaints per capita for that year. The figure covers internet crime broadly, not cryptocurrency alone (FBI Denver, April 29, 2025).
For national context, the same FBI Denver release said cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $6.5 billion in losses nationwide in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. That is a U.S. figure, not a Colorado estimate.
Are Colorado’s crypto crimes home-grown?
Some documented cases involve Colorado residents or transactions in the state, but others show why a victim’s location cannot establish an offender’s home state. The cases below illustrate different connections; they do not measure how common local offenders are.
Denver couple used fraud proceeds to buy cryptocurrency
Michael and Kimberly Tew, both of Denver, were convicted and sentenced for a wire-fraud scheme against National Air Cargo. Trial evidence showed the scheme generated $5 million, of which $2.4 million was used to buy cryptocurrencies at cryptocurrency ATMs across the Denver area. This was a wire-fraud case involving crypto as a use of proceeds, not a crypto investment scam (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, November 13, 2024).
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Castle Rock defendant accused of moving victim funds to overseas wallets
In a July 2025 release, the Justice Department said a superseding indictment alleged that people other than Lori Ann Kimball built fake online relationships with victims and directed their money to her. Prosecutors alleged that Kimball transferred more than $3.4 million received from victims between January 2023 and February 2025 into crypto accounts in her name, then moved holdings to wallets belonging to people overseas. The charges are allegations; Kimball is presumed innocent unless proven guilty (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, July 24, 2025).
Colorado victim defrauded by a man who had lived in Minnesota
Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, a Nigerian national who had resided in Minnesota before his arrest, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for defrauding a Colorado woman. At his direction, she sent more than $1.6 million through an exchange. He converted the money into cryptocurrencies, moved it across exchanges, and converted it back to dollars. The victim was in Colorado; the case does not establish that the offender was a Colorado resident (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, September 16, 2025).
What the complaint figures can—and cannot—tell you
IC3 statistics count complaints submitted by members of the public, not every victim or loss. Some people do not recognize or report a crime. The FBI says actual totals are likely higher, and figures can change as it receives information or conducts analysis. Its state report also separates victim and subject tables; those tables are not a systematic measure of where crypto perpetrators reside.
- They can show: reported complaint volume and losses associated with specified crime types, tools, or transactions in a reporting period.
- They cannot establish: the percentage of offenders living in Colorado, or whether a Colorado-based complaint involved an offender in Colorado, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad.
- They do not guarantee: that every reported loss will be investigated or recovered. IC3 says reports may be referred to law-enforcement or partner agencies for possible investigation, with follow-up at those agencies’ discretion.
What to do if a crypto kiosk scam is suspected
The FBI says no legitimate law-enforcement or government official will call and demand payment through a cryptocurrency kiosk. Do not follow instructions from someone you have never met to scan a QR code and send crypto at a kiosk.
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- Preserve transaction details: save the transaction ID, destination wallet address, kiosk location, receipts, and other transaction documentation.
- Contact the institutions involved: notify any financial institutions involved in the transaction.
- Report the suspected crime: contact local police and submit a complaint through FBI IC3. For suspected kiosk fraud, the FBI specifically recommends reporting to both local police and IC3.
- Contact the FBI: the FBI’s broader reporting guidance also advises contacting the nearest FBI field office.
Submitting a report helps authorities receive information about suspected crimes, but it does not ensure an investigation or recovery. FBI Director Kash Patel said 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” (FBI, April 23, 2025).
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