FBI Warns Scammers Are Impersonating IC3 to Revictimize Cybercrime Victims
The FBI is warning that scammers are impersonating bureau personnel and the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, in an effort to target people who have already been involved in online-crime complaints.
In an updated alert dated July 20, 2026, the FBI said the scheme can deceive and revictimize people who have filed complaints with IC3. The warning applies nationwide and highlights a second fraud risk for people who may already have lost money or reported an online crime.
How the impersonation scheme works
The scammers pose as FBI personnel or IC3 representatives while pretending to assist with complaints. That approach can make a fraudulent contact appear connected to an earlier report, potentially giving the impersonator access to people who are already worried about a cybercrime incident.
The FBI’s warning identifies people involved in IC3 complaints as targets. The bureau describes the activity as an effort to deceive and revictimize prior victims, rather than as a legitimate follow-up by federal investigators.
For people who have already reported online crime, the warning is significant because a prior complaint may become the basis for another attempted fraud. A person who believes an official is helping with an investigation or a loss may be more likely to trust a message or call that appears to come from the FBI or IC3.
The FBI’s payment warning
The FBI said it will not ask private citizens to move money by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards. A request for any of those payment methods from someone claiming to represent the bureau or IC3 is therefore inconsistent with the FBI’s stated policy.
The warning covers three commonly used payment channels: wire transfers, cryptocurrency and gift cards. The FBI’s statement gives people a direct test for identifying a purported contact that is asking for money in connection with an online-crime complaint.
The bureau directs victims of online crime to report through IC3. IC3 is the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the July 20 alert specifically concerns scammers using the center’s identity while contacting people connected to complaints.
Part of a broader 2026 alert series
The IC3 impersonation notice appears in the FBI’s 2026 cyber-alert series. The bureau’s 2026 archive lists 152 items, including warnings involving U.S. organizations and critical infrastructure.
The archive places the July 20 notice among the FBI’s current public cyber alerts. Its inclusion in that series underscores that the warning is a current federal cybersecurity notice, while the specific alert focuses on impersonation of the FBI and IC3.
The FBI has not disclosed a nationwide victim count or total dollar loss for this impersonation scheme. The public warning also does not identify a single confirmed criminal group behind the activity.
What people should do
People who are victims of online crime should use IC3 to report it, according to the FBI. Anyone contacted by a purported FBI or IC3 representative should be especially cautious if the contact includes a request to move money by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift card.
The July 20 alert is an ongoing warning rather than an announcement of a completed enforcement action. The FBI’s public direction is to use IC3 for online-crime reports and to recognize that requests for those payment methods do not come from the bureau.
Sources
- Cyber Alerts, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- 2026 FBI cyber alerts, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.