$2.3B Lost to Crypto Scams in Q1 2026: How to Protect Yourself
Blockchain security firm Immunefi reports $2.3B in crypto losses during Q1 2026, with romance scams, fake exchanges, and phishing attacks accounting for 70% of incidents.
Crypto scams and hacks resulted in $2.3 billion in losses during Q1 2026, according to Immunefi's latest quarterly security report. The figure represents a 12% decrease from Q1 2025, suggesting improved industry security practices—but the absolute dollar amount remains alarming.
Top Attack Vectors
Romance scams (pig butchering) accounted for 32% of losses by dollar value. Fake exchange apps and phishing attacks combined for another 38%. The remaining 30% came from DeFi protocol exploits, with cross-chain bridges remaining the most vulnerable infrastructure component.
Protection Guide
Use hardware wallets for any amount above $10,000. Enable 2FA on all exchange accounts. Never share seed phrases. Verify URLs triple before connecting wallets. Use browser extensions like MetaMask's built-in phishing detection.
