Fake FBI agents target people who already got scammed
Scammers are impersonating FBI personnel who supposedly handle Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) complaints, using that disguise to deceive and revictimize people who already lost money once.
The IC3 published the update on July 20, 2026, building on an earlier alert from April 2025. Since then, the bureau says, the scammers have picked up new tricks, including AI-generated video of FBI officials and spoofed versions of the IC3 website itself.
“Complainants report scammers use a variety of methods to initiate contact with victims. Some individuals received an email or a phone call, while others were approached, or observed an advertisement via social media or forums,” the FBI said.
Fake agents on Facebook Messenger
In one version the FBI describes, a victim tells the fraudsters they plan to report the incident to the FBI and file an IC3 complaint. Soon after, someone claiming to be an FBI agent reaches out on Facebook Messenger, then moves the conversation to Telegram. This “agent” sends a link and asks the victim to update their IC3 report.
“The link may contain malicious code or may be used to collect more financial data to revictimize the person,” the agency warns.
Deepfake videos push a spoofed IC3 site
The second scheme relies on AI-generated video. Scammers have circulated deepfake clips of a senior FBI official urging people to file complaints through what looks like the official IC3 site.
The fake page mimics the design of ic3.gov closely, but its function is limited: it accepts a single-step complaint form asking for a name, phone number, email, scam type, and estimated loss, and every other link on the page just loops back to the home screen. After submission, victims get a reference number and a promise that someone will follow up.
How to protect yourself
The FBI points out that IC3 has no social media presence, never initiates contact by phone, email, or chat app, and never asks for payment to recover lost funds. Anyone checking the site should type www.ic3.gov directly into the browser, skip sponsored search results, and confirm the domain ends in .gov before entering any information.
The FBI also shares advice on how to spot a fake video or message, flagging signs such as distorted hands or facial features, mismatched shadows, lag in voice calls, and unnatural movement.
“Take a moment to verify that what you are seeing or hearing is true before responding. If you see a surprising video or image online, verify its authenticity through reputable news sources or known official channels,” they added.