The Uptime Report · Research

Ransomware Reported to the FBI: A Five-Year Trend

Data journalism by The Uptime Report · Based on FBI IC3 annual reports · Last updated October 2026

Ransomware complaints to the FBI reached a four-year high in 2025. The Internet Crime Complaint Center received 3,611 ransomware reports in 2025, up from 2,385 in 2022, while reported dollar losses stayed volatile because ransom payments are chronically under-reported, according to FBI IC3 annual reports.

Five years of ransomware reported to the FBI

Key findings

• 2025 complaints hit a four-year high. The FBI IC3 received 3,611 ransomware reports in 2025, up from 3,156 in 2024, 2,825 in 2023, and 2,385 in 2022 (FBI IC3 Annual Reports).
• Complaints have risen three years running. After bottoming at 2,385 in 2022, ransomware complaints rose each year through 2025 (FBI IC3).
• Reported losses are volatile and understated. Reported ransomware losses swung from $1.6 billion+ in 2021 to $34.3 million in 2022, $59.6 million in 2023, $12.5 million in 2024, and $32.3 million in 2025, reflecting under-reporting rather than true cost swings (FBI IC3).
• Ransomware is a fraction of total cybercrime reporting. The IC3 received more than 1 million complaints in total in 2025 with $20.9 billion in total reported losses, so ransomware complaints (3,611) are a small share of volume but an outsized share of operational damage (FBI IC3).
• Healthcare leads targeted sectors. The FBI identified healthcare as the most-targeted critical infrastructure sector for ransomware, with 278 healthcare ransomware attacks tracked in 2025 (FBI IC3).

Why reported losses understate the real cost

The gap between complaint counts and reported losses is the most important caveat in this data. The FBI collects what victims voluntarily report, and ransomware is among the most under-reported crimes: many organizations never file, and those that do often report only the ransom demand, not the far larger costs of downtime, recovery, and lost business. Independent analyses put average ransomware incident costs in the millions, while the FBI’s reported ransomware losses for 2025 total $32.3 million across 3,611 complaints. The complaint trend is the more reliable signal of direction; the loss figures are a floor, not a measure.

What the trend means for MSPs and MSSPs

The three-year rise in reported complaints, against a backdrop of known under-reporting, points to sustained and growing ransomware pressure. For managed providers, the operational implication is consistency with prevention economics: because true costs dwarf reported losses and downtime dominates, the value of prevention, immutable backups, email security, and monitored detection, is larger than the FBI’s loss figures alone would suggest.

Secondary questions

How many ransomware attacks were reported to the FBI in 2025?

3,611 ransomware complaints were reported to the FBI IC3 in 2025, a four-year high.

Are ransomware attacks increasing?

Reported complaints rose each year from 2022 (2,385) through 2025 (3,611), indicating a sustained upward trend in reporting.

How much did ransomware cost in 2025?

Reported losses were $32.3 million across 3,611 complaints, but this figure is widely understated because ransomware is heavily under-reported and excludes downtime and recovery costs.

Frequently asked questions

How many ransomware complaints did the FBI receive in 2025?

3,611, up from 3,156 in 2024 (FBI IC3 Annual Report).

What were FBI-reported ransomware losses in 2025?

$32.3 million, a 259% increase over 2024’s $12.5 million, though this reflects only disclosed losses.

Why are reported ransomware losses so low compared to other estimates?

Because the FBI collects only voluntarily reported losses, and ransomware is heavily under-reported; reported figures exclude downtime, recovery, and third-party costs.

What year had the most ransomware complaints?

Among recent years, 2025 had the most at 3,611, followed by 2021 at 3,729. Complaints dipped to 2,385 in 2022 before rising again.

Which sector is most targeted by ransomware?

Healthcare, the most-targeted critical infrastructure sector per the FBI, with 278 healthcare ransomware attacks tracked in 2025.

How much total cybercrime loss did the FBI report in 2025?

$20.9 billion across more than 1 million complaints, of which ransomware is a small share by count but an outsized share of operational damage.

Is ransomware getting worse?

By reported-complaint trend, yes: complaints rose three years running through 2025. This report states the data; it is not security advice.

What is the FBI IC3?

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, the FBI’s public mechanism for reporting internet-enabled crime, which publishes an annual report of complaints and losses.

How reliable is FBI ransomware data?

Complaint counts are a reliable directional signal; loss figures are a floor because of heavy under-reporting.

How current is this report?

It reflects FBI IC3 annual reports through 2025, the latest available as of October 2026.

Methodology

How to cite this report

References

1. FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report. Accessed October 2026.
2. FBI IC3, 2024 Internet Crime Report. Accessed October 2026.
3. FBI IC3, 2023 Internet Crime Report. Accessed October 2026.
4. FBI IC3, 2022 Internet Crime Report. Accessed October 2026.
5. FBI IC3, 2021 Internet Crime Report. Accessed October 2026.