The FBI warns that scammers impersonating FBI Web Crime Criticism Heart (IC3) staff supply to “assist” fraud victims get better cash misplaced to different scammers.
Over the past two years, between December 2023 and February 2025, the FBI mentioned it has obtained over 100 experiences of fraudsters utilizing this tactic.
“Complainants report preliminary contact from the scammers can range. Some people obtained an e mail or a cellphone name, whereas others had been approached through social media or boards,” the legislation enforcement company warned in a Friday public service announcement.
“Nearly all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the sufferer’s misplaced funds or provided to help in recovering funds. Nevertheless, the declare is a ruse to revictimize those that have already misplaced cash to scams.”
In a current instance of such an impersonation scheme, scammers created feminine persona profiles on social media networking websites and joined teams for monetary fraud victims, pretending to be fellow victims.
They then really helpful that victims contact “Jaime Quin,” who claims to be the Chief Director of IC3, through Telegram. As soon as contacted, Quin mentioned he had recovered the victims’ misplaced funds, however this was a ploy to achieve entry to their monetary info and revictimize them.
The best way to shield your self
To guard your self from related rip-off makes an attempt, by no means share delicate info with people you could have solely met on-line or over the cellphone, and do not ship them cash, present playing cards, cryptocurrency, or different monetary property.
The FBI added that IC3 staff won’t ever contact victims immediately by cellphone calls, e mail, social media, cellular apps, or public boards. Moreover, they may by no means ask for cost to get better stolen funds or refer victims to firms that require cost for fund restoration.
Two years in the past, the FBI warned of widespread fraud schemes wherein scammers impersonate authorities or legislation enforcement officers by spoofing genuine cellphone numbers and utilizing pretend credentials to steal personally identifiable info or extort cash from potential victims.
Earlier this month, the Spanish Nationwide Police additionally arrested half a dozen suspects who contacted the victims of their cryptocurrency funding rip-off, posing as Europol brokers or U.Okay. legal professionals and claiming they might assist them get better the misplaced funds in the event that they paid what amounted to native tax prices.
