Scammers are impersonating the FBI to steal your personal data

Scammers are impersonating the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to steal people’s personal data, with spoofed versions of the IC3 website circulating online. The FBI issued an advisory last week warning that cybercriminals are setting up fake sites to tempt users into submitting IC3 reports, and criminals spoof legitimate sites using techniques such as typosquatting.

The article cites the 2024 IC3 Crime Report, which records 859,532 complaints and $16.6 billion in losses, reflecting a rise from the previous year. Attacks target victims who are already distressed, steering them toward fake portals where they may again hand over sensitive information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and banking data.

The piece notes a broader pattern of law-enforcement impersonation, including reported activity in March when the FBI Philadelphia Field Office described spoofing of official numbers to extort money, and earlier on social media, emails, and calls. If scammed, the recovery odds vary, with the IC3 reporting a 66% success rate in freezing cash in some fraudulent transactions. According to IC3 employees, they will never contact individuals directly for fund recovery, a key countermeasure highlighted for protection.