The FBI says criminals are using fake agents, AI-generated videos, and spoofed government websites to target previous fraud victims. Officials warn that recovery scams are becoming harder to spot as scammers adopt more convincing 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.The FBI said:
“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.”
AI Videos and Fake Websites Build TrustThe updated FBI alert highlights how criminals are using AI-generated videos, including deepfakes, to make their impersonation schemes more believable.
The bureau said scammers created videos appearing to show a senior FBI official directing users to submit complaints through a counterfeit IC3 website.
Criminals may also use AI-generated voices, fabricated video calls and caller ID spoofing to impersonate executives, law enforcement officers or other authority figures.
The FBI stressed that IC3 does not operate social media accounts and does not recover money through Facebook, Telegram, or similar platforms.
The bureau noted:
“IC3 does not maintain a social media presence. IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds.”
Consumers should not send cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfers, or other assets to anyone claiming to be able to recover stolen funds, the FBI said. Suspected scams should be reported through the official IC3 website, along with transaction records, phone numbers, email addresses, and cryptocurrency wallet addresses, when available.
