On July 20, 2026, the FBI issued a new alert informing the public that “criminal scammers are impersonating FBI personnel facilitating Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) complaints to deceive and revictimize individuals.”

What is the IC3 social engineering scam?

The alert states that the FBI IC3 is seeing an escalation in social engineering tactics – including identity impersonation, synthetic media, and phishing schemes – to take advantage of individuals who have already been victims of a scam. When such individuals report an incident, cybercriminals then contact them, posing as FBI agents and offering “fund recovery assistance” to steer victims to malicious websites where they ask for personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data.

Such methods of contact vary from emails, phone calls, direct messages on social media platforms like Facebook and Telegram, and false advertisements. Additionally, AI-generated deepfake videos that impersonate senior FBI officials on social media platforms appear real and are intended to build trust with users while driving people to the fraudulent IC3 websites. Impersonation techniques are also used in voice and video communications, and can be hard to detect, given the sophistication of AI tools and cybercriminals’ evolving tactics.

How to identify spoofed sites like the fraudulent IC3 websites

These malicious, spoofed sites can be hard to spot, according to the FBI, as they’re designed with a similar structure and branding of the real IC3 website. Once they file a form, victims receive a fake reference number, making the interaction seem legitimate.

One clue to watch for, however, is that the sites have simplified submission forms and clunky functionality. Additionally, if you look closely, you may find signs of a deepfake impersonation through subtle imperfections like distorted hands or feet, unrealistic facial features, accessories like glasses or jewelry that look fake, strange shadow placement, and unnatural movements. However, note that impersonation attempts are growing increasingly sophisticated, and identifying signs of deepfakes is often not enough.

What you can do in response to IC3 impersonation scam

If you want to file a complaint and are hesitant to interact with the FBI IC3, take heed – the FBI has issued a number of tips to keep in mind to help you stay safe.

Notably, the IC3 does not maintain a social media presence and does not investigate crimes or recover funds through Facebook, Telegram, or similar platforms. 

Any social media activities or pages claiming to be IC3 or government officials are fraudulent and designed to access your personal information.

Also, the IC3 never directly communicates with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, online chat, or public forums.

If you have filed a complaint and further information is needed, you will only be contacted by FBI employees from local field offices or other law enforcement officers.

Other tips include:

  • When navigating to IC3’s official website, type www.ic3.gov directly into the address bar located at the top of your Internet browser, rather than using a search engine.
  • If using a search engine, avoid any “sponsored” results as these are usually paid imitators looking to deter traffic from the legitimate IC3 website.
  • Avoid clicking on any link whose URL differs from the legitimate IC3 site to mitigate risk of fraud.
  • Never click on links that may include suspicious artifacts or graphics, such as unprofessional or low-quality graphics used to imitate a legitimate website.
  • Never share sensitive information if you are unsure of the website’s legitimacy.
  • Report any incidents to the legitimate FBI IC3 website only at www.ic3.gov.
  • IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor will IC3 refer someone to a company requesting payment for recovering funds.
  • Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know or have met only online or over the phone.

BlackCloak: Concierge Personal Cybersecurity Services

Most importantly, if you suspect that you’re a victim of fraud or another cybercrime scam, BlackCloak offers a digital bodyguard model, designed to help you take critical steps to mitigate threats and remediate any damages. We take a complete approach to create a frictionless defense, including hardening your home network and connected devices, automating the removal of data broker records to combat evasive site tactics, and providing an expert concierge team to handle any issues you encounter. We can also interact with law enforcement to ensure your case is handled by the appropriate authorities.

Steps BlackCloak’s Concierge Cybersecurity™ takes include:

  • Reduce the digital footprints of you and your family members by minimizing the amount of personal information exposed online.
  • Protect personal devices and home networks from threats, proactively identifying and mitigating potential cyber risks.
  • Include ID theft protection and credit monitoring, maintaining a proactive posture by gaining visibility into potential identity threats.
  • Educate, train, and empower your inner circle to make informed decisions about their online activities.
  • Perform incident response to rapidly address threats before they escalate into breaches of the enterprise.

You can learn more about ways you can be compromised and how BlackCloak can help by watching our webinar The Personal Attack Chain.

Contact our team to learn more today.