The Federal Bureau of Investigation is alerting the public to an ongoing fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate personnel from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to target and revictimize individuals who have already suffered financial losses.
In a public service announcement issued July 20, 2026, the FBI detailed tactics including AI-generated videos, spoofed websites, and direct outreach via email, phone, and social media. The scammers falsely claim to have recovered lost funds or offer assistance in doing so, aiming to extract additional personal and financial information.
Prevalence of IC3 Impersonation Scams
Government impersonation scams, including those targeting IC3, form part of a broader wave of internet-enabled fraud. The IC3’s 2025 annual report documented more than 1 million complaints with reported losses exceeding $20.877 billion, a 26% increase from the prior year. Cyber-enabled fraud accounted for about 45% of complaints but 85% of the reported losses.
The FBI received more than 100 reports of IC3 impersonation scams between December 2023 and February 2025, according to an earlier alert. The July 2026 update reveals the scheme’s evolution with advanced tools like deepfakes.
Who Is Generally Targeted
Previous scam victims are primary targets in these “recovery” or “double-dip” schemes. Scammers often lurk in social media groups for fraud victims, posing as fellow victims or FBI personnel.
Older adults continue to suffer the heaviest financial impact from internet crimes. Victims aged 60 and older reported the highest losses nationally, exceeding $7.7 billion in 2025.
In Texas, this age group also experienced the highest financial losses in the 2024 IC3 data despite not filing the most complaints.
How Scammers Target Victims
Scammers initiate contact through varied channels: emails, phone calls, social media messages, or advertisements in victim forums. They frequently create fake profiles on platforms like Facebook, then direct victims to Telegram for further communication.
Recent variants use AI-generated videos depicting senior FBI leaders promoting spoofed IC3 complaint sites. These sites mimic the official www.ic3.gov structure but collect limited personal data—name, phone, email, scam type, and loss amount—before promising follow-up contact.
Spoofed websites may appear in search results or use slightly altered domains. Links sent to victims may contain malicious code or lead to further data harvesting.
The goal is to steal additional money or sensitive information such as banking details, Social Security numbers, or cryptocurrency wallet data. Scammers promise fund recovery but require “fees,” “taxes,” or access to accounts to “process” returns—a classic recovery scam tactic.
Prevention Measures
The IC3 does not maintain social media accounts, initiate direct contact via phone, email, or messaging apps, or offer fund recovery services. It never requests payment or refers victims to third parties for recovery.
To verify the official site, users should type www.ic3.gov directly into the browser address bar rather than relying on search engines or links. Avoid sponsored results. Confirm the URL ends in .gov.
Examine communications for inconsistencies in email addresses, phone numbers, URLs, spelling, or video quality—such as unnatural movements, irregular facial features, or audio lag in claimed deepfakes.
Report suspected incidents only through the legitimate IC3 site at www.ic3.gov. Victims aged 60 and older needing filing assistance can call the Department of Justice Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
The FBI’s X post from its Cyber Division on July 20, 2026, reinforced the warning: “The FBI is warning the public that scammers are impersonating FBI personnel facilitating Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) complaints to deceive and revictimize individuals.” It urged filing complaints at ic3.gov.
Provided by Dallas Express
