Scammers Are Impersonating IC3 Using Fake Profiles and AI-Generated Videos, FBI Updates Warning
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Key Takeaways
- Warning updated: The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) updated a warning on July 20, 2026, about scammers impersonating the agency online.
- Two schemes: Fraudsters use fake social media profiles and AI-generated videos of senior FBI officials to direct victims to spoofed IC3 websites.
- No presence: IC3 has no social media presence of any kind and never offers to recover lost funds.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) on July 20, 2026, updated an earlier warning flagging an ongoing scheme in which scammers impersonate the agency online to target people who've already fallen victim to cybercrime. IC3 says fraudsters continue to use the tactic to deceive and revictimize individuals, going after cybercrime victims both directly and by posing as a way to report incidents in the first place.
Scammers use emails, phone calls, social media, or forums to contact potential victims, leveraging deepfakes and caller ID spoofing.
Fake Profiles and AI Videos: The Two Schemes to Know
The first scheme relies on fraudulent social media profiles and pages impersonating FBI personnel or IC3 itself. Scammers infiltrate online groups built for fraud victims, or reach out to victims directly (via Facebook Messenger, Telegram) while claiming to represent the FBI or the complaint center, according to the agency.
One documented variant has threat actors creating female persona profiles that pose as fellow fraud victims inside victim support groups, then directing people to reach a fake "Chief Director of IC3" named "Jaime Quin" via Telegram.
Deepfakes of FBI Officials
The second scheme is more sophisticated, as scammers produce AI-generated videos depicting senior FBI officials and use these deepfakes for real-time video chats and private communications to funnel victims toward a spoofed IC3 website to "report" cybercrimes.
Once collected, that information becomes the basis for further fraud attempts. IC3 noted that almost every complainant in these cases reported the individuals either claimed to have already recovered their lost funds or offered to help recover them.
IC3 Has No Social Media Presence
No matter how convincing a profile looks or how realistic an AI-generated video seems, IC3 says none of it should be trusted. The center maintains no social media presence and does not investigate crimes or recover funds through social platforms.
"IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, online chat, or public forums," the agency stated. Only file reports through IC3's official website by typing the address directly – www.ic3.gov.
In the April 2025 warning, the FBI said it received more than 100 reports of IC3 impersonation scams between December 2023 and February 2025.
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