FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns the public about an ongoing fraud scheme where criminal scammers are impersonating FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) employees to deceive and defraud individuals. Between December 2023 and February 2025, the FBI received more than 100 reports of IC3 impersonation scams.

How It Works

Complainants report initial contact from the scammers can vary. Some individuals received an email or a phone call, while others were approached via social media or forums. Almost all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the victim’s lost funds or offered to assist in recovering funds. However, the claim is a ruse to revictimize those who have already lost money to scams.

A recent example of the impersonation scheme variant indicates scammers create female persona profiles on social media networking sites and join groups for financial fraud victims, representing themselves as fellow financial fraud victims. Scammers then recommend actual victims reach out to male persona, “Jaime Quin” (Quin), the alleged “Chief Director” of IC3, via Telegram. Once contacted, “Quin” claims to have recovered the lost funds, but uses this as a ruse to gain access to their financial information and revictimize them.

Tips to Protect Yourself

• The IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, or public forums. If further information is needed, individuals will be contacted by FBI employees from local field offices or other law enforcement officers.
• Scammers will change aliases and tactics; however, the scheme generally remains the same.
• Never share sensitive information with people you have met only online or over the phone.
• The IC3 will not ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor will they refer a victim 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.

Report It

The FBI requests victims immediately report fraudulent or suspicious activity to the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Be sure to include as much information as possible:

• Identifying information about the person or company that contacted you.
• Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
• Financial transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses.
• Description of your interaction with the individual, including how contact was initiated, such as the type of communication, purpose of the request for money, how you were told or instructed to make payment, what information you provided to the scammer, and any other details pertinent to your complaint.

Victims aged 60 or over who need assistance filing an IC3 complaint can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311).