The FBI reports that criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tactics – like pretending to be FBI agents, creating fake videos with AI, and building convincing but fake government websites – to target people who have already been victims of fraud. Officials are concerned these scams are becoming harder to identify because criminals are using more believable technology.
Key Takeaways
- Scammers are impersonating FBI personnel to target people who have already lost money.
- Criminals are using AI-generated videos, fake websites, and messaging apps to appear legitimate.
- The FBI says IC3 never charges recovery fees or contacts victims through social media.
Fake Agents Target Victims a Second Time
The FBI is warning that scammers are posing as federal agents and using artificial intelligence to trick people who have already lost money to fraud.
In a July 20 public service announcement, the bureau said criminals are impersonating personnel connected to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3. The scammers falsely claim they recovered stolen money or can help victims retrieve their losses. The offer is another recovery scam designed to steal personal information, financial details, or additional payments from people who are already vulnerable.
The FBI said:
Most people who reported these scams said the fraudsters pretended to be able to get their money back – either money they’d already lost or help with recovering additional funds. But this is just a trick to scam them again.
Fraudsters reach out to people in many ways – through calls, emails, messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Telegram, social media ads, or online forums. They often send links claiming to help with an existing complaint to the IC3, but these links actually steal financial details or install harmful software.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s guidance on refund and recovery scams says criminals deliberately target people who have already paid another scammer. Fraudsters may obtain lists containing victims’ names, contact information, previous losses and details about the original scam before offering bogus recovery services.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) also warns about recovery fraud, particularly after cryptocurrency, foreign exchange and investment scams. The regulator says an offer to retrieve lost savings may be another scheme that adds to the victim’s financial damage.
AI Videos and Fake Websites Build Trust
The FBI recently warned that criminals are using AI to create realistic fake videos – including deepfakes – to make their scams and impersonations more convincing.
Authorities reported that fraudsters made videos falsely showing an FBI leader telling people to file reports on a fake version of the IC3 website.
The fake website looked like the real government site, but it tricked people into giving up personal information like their name, phone number, email, what kind of scam they experienced, and how much money they lost. After collecting this data, the site created a confirmation code and said someone would get in touch – but no one ever did.
Scammers are increasingly using AI to mimic voices, create fake video calls, and disguise their phone numbers. This lets them pretend to be company leaders, police, or other people in positions of power.
FBI Says IC3 Never Charges Recovery Fees
The FBI wants to remind everyone that the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) doesn’t have any social media pages and will never ask you for money back through platforms like Facebook or Telegram.
The bureau noted:
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) doesn’t have accounts on social media platforms. Also, they will never request money to help you get back any money you’ve lost to crime.
The FBI warns people not to send money – including cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers – to anyone who promises to get back funds lost in a scam. If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, report it to the IC3 website and include details like transaction information, phone numbers, email addresses, and any cryptocurrency wallet addresses involved.
2026-07-22 05:58