FBI Warns of IC3 Impersonation Scam

Published: Jul 20, 2025 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.

It’s getting ugly now. The FBI is now warning about a growing scheme where crooks are pretending to be employees from its own Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). And they’re not just sending shady emails—they’re popping up everywhere: On social media, in forums, even on phone calls. The FBI has been tracking this scam since December of 2023.

Here’s how it goes: Scammers target previous victims of various scams. They claim they’ve “recovered” their stolen funds and want to get it back to them. Of course, there is a catch, and a really tricky part is that the scam varies. You just don’t know how it’s going to come.

One version has a fake “fellow victim” sliding into online support groups for previous victims, playing the sympathy card. Then comes the referral: “Contact Jaime Quin on Telegram, he’s with the IC3!” Spoiler alert—he’s not. He (or she) is a scammer looking to strike again and hijack financial information.

So how does one stay safe from this? The IC3 has tips.

• The IC3 will never reach out via email, phone, social media, or apps like Telegram. So, if you get such a message, it’s a scam.

• They don’t charge you to “get your money back.”

• Never give out sensitive information to strangers or random people online. Know who is using your information before giving out even as much as your email address.

• Don’t send money, cryptocurrencies, or gift cards to anyone you haven’t met in person.

The PSA (I-041825-PSA), also warns that the scammers will change aliases and tactics, but the general scam is the same.

Stay skeptical. Stay secure. And if it smells fishy, well, it usually is a phish.

Keep up to date: Sign up for our Fraud alerts and Updates newsletter

Want to schedule a conversation? Please email us at advisor@nadicent.com