I can't think of anything that's off limits to them': FBI slams
cybercriminals for attacking schools, hospitals, as crypto fraud soars

Date:
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:15:00 +0000

Description:
The FBI's new IC3 report dissects the state of ransomware, and discusses attacks on hospitals and critical infrastructure firms.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter FBIs 2025 Internet Crime Report shows $17.6 billion stolen in the year Cyber-enabled fraud and investment scams caused biggest losses Ransomware hit hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure indiscriminately The FBI has slammed cybercriminals for carrying out indiscriminate attacks against some of the most vulnerable elements of society, including schools and hospitals.

The US law enforcement agency presented its annual Internet Crime Complaint center (ICR) report for 2025 , giving a snapshot of criminal activities,
their effects on citizens, and their efforts to combat the threat. And as per the report, cybercriminals stole a shocking $17.6 billion in 2025 - mostly through scams and fraud. Article continues below You may like 'Cybercriminals are industrializing deception': new report reveals how major global
cybercrime syndicates have infiltrated trusted domains with millions now at risk - here's what you need to know Takedowns and arrests didn't slow down ransomware in 2025 FBI warns ATM "jackpotting" attacks are soaring - here's what you need to know Fraud hits new highs Cyber-enabled fraud, where crooks trick people into giving away money, data, identities, or are fooled into purchasing counterfeit goods and services, makes up almost 85% of all losses. At the same time, cyber-enabled fraud made up less than half (45%) of all complaints the IC3 received last year (1,008,597 in total).

This means that the biggest losses, on average, are in cyber-enabled fraud.

Investment fraud, where victims are tricked into investing their money on
fake cryptocurrency exchanges, and into crypto tokens that either appreciate in value incredibly fast, or offer high yields for staking, were the second-biggest type of attack.

Here, victims lost $8.6 billion last year. In third place is Business Email Compromise (BEC), where criminals break into an executives email account and order their employees to quietly make a wire transfer. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Targeting hospitals But the biggest shame about cybercrime is not in the money the criminals take - its who they are taking
it from. Hospitals, schools, emergency responders, and city government agencies, to name a few.

During a presentation of the findings, Cyber Division Section Chief Taushiana Bright said theres been a surge in the number of ransomware variants circulating online today. At the moment, the IC3 is investigating more than 200 variants, actors, and enablers, 63 of which were identified last year.

Cybercriminals have indiscriminately attacked hospitals, emergency
responders, schools and entire city governments. I can't think of anything that's off limits to them, Bright said. What to read next Ransomware payments drop to record low, even as attacks surge UK government wants to ban ransomware payouts but offers no extra cybercrime policing The rise of the cyber hacker - does clout matter more than cash?

In total, the IC3 received 3,611 complaints, which resulted in $32 million in losses. This is up from 3,156 complaints in 2024, when $12 million were lost. While this might not sound like much, the IC3 stresses that many ransomware attacks are still not being reported to the authorities. Some, truth be told, get reported at a later date, as well. Hitting critical infrastructure Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure (Image credit: Shutterstock) Critical infrastructure, and its 16 sectors that are essential to national security, economic stability, and public health, continue facing sustained ransomware pressure, the report finds. These
attacks have disproportionately impacted these sectors, with the IC3
recording at least 655 ransomware incidents affecting organizations within these sectors.

Those incidents resulted in more than $261 million in reported losses, though the report cautions that the real financial impact is likely significantly higher due to unaccounted costs such as downtime and remediation. Authorities were able to freeze approximately $146 million tied to these cases,
reflecting a partial but meaningful response.

There used to be a time when even cybercriminals had a code of conduct.
During the Covid years, ransomware operators DarkSide and LockBit
specifically instructed their affiliates not to target hospitals, and LockBit even publicly disavowed an affiliate after striking Torontos SickKids childrens hospital. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based
on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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