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CRITICAL THREAT · Government Impersonation Fraud

FBI Alert: Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and IC3 Personnel

The FBI has issued urgent warnings regarding a surge in fraud schemes where scammers impersonate law enforcement and government officials, including personnel from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), to target and revictimize individuals who have already suffered financial losses.

10/11/2026Social MediaEmailSMS/Text MessagingTelephone

Warning signs

  • Unsolicited contact from individuals claiming to be with the FBI or IC3
  • Requests for upfront fees or payments to 'recover' previously lost money
  • Threats of arrest or fines for missed jury duty or court dates
  • Use of social media, Telegram, or messaging apps to conduct 'official' business
  • Use of AI-generated audio or video (deepfakes) to mimic official voices or appearances

What you should do

  • Verify the identity of any caller claiming to be a government official by contacting the agency through an official, independently verified phone number
  • Never pay a fee to recover lost funds; the federal government does not charge for investigations
  • Report suspected impersonation scams directly to the official IC3 website at www.ic3.gov
  • Document all evidence, including screenshots of messages, emails, and phone numbers, to assist law enforcement
  • Do not engage with social media profiles claiming to represent the IC3
Criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tactics, including AI-generated deepfakes, to impersonate government officials and law enforcement. A particularly malicious trend involves scammers posing as IC3 employees to contact victims who have previously reported cybercrimes. These imposters falsely claim they can recover lost funds or investigate the original crime in exchange for upfront fees. The FBI emphasizes that the IC3 does not maintain a social media presence, does not investigate crimes or recover funds through social media platforms, and will never contact individuals to request money or personal information for recovery services. Between January 2025 and July 2026, the IC3 received nearly 61,000 complaints related to government impersonation, with losses exceeding $1.6 billion.

Sources

https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260917https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260720https://fox59.com/news/scammers-impersonate-fbis-ic3-website-to-target-victimshttps://www.investigatetv.com/2026/08/19/fbi-warns-scammers-are-impersonating-its-cybercrime-complaint-centerhttps://www.ic3.gov/PSA